Hordika Under the Bed
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: ...look out for what you might find in the dark. Co-authered with In The Light! -Story on hold until Light comes back-
1. Chapter 1

Hordika Under the Bed

The dark of the night was normally his most favored time, since he could blend into better. But this night had just been...weird. The prowling form growled low and more to himself since the last time he had snarled at a little Rahi thing it had run yapping to a building, faster then he thought it could. Not only had he missed out on a snack but there had been a pack of Rahi that were Bionicle-shaped and running around. He had slipped away, fallowing the out lining area of this strange Metru. Finally his interest got the better of him and the Hordika eased closer to one of the more secluded dwelling, hunkered low the Hordika sniffed around. Finding only one active scent. That was more like it, for him.

Nighttime would usually be spent watching TV, but tonight Mic was in her room absorbed in a book all about Star Trek's Mr Spock. She could see the stars trying to peek through the clouds outside, and a dog was barking from somewhere. The young woman's eyes wandered from the pages back to the window, wondering why no one bothered to shut up their dog.

One of the closer dogs stopped mid-bark, but the canine let out a yowling twisted sound that was partly whimper before being fully cut off. The rest of the dogs voices changed into a more frightened pitch before the barking was let off. Something was outside that was disturbing the local pet life.

Mic looked up at the sudden change in the barking, frowning in concern. That sounded rather creepy, hearing such frightened barking. Out of worry, she quickly made sure that her own dog was still in the house before sitting back down, but no longer concentrating on the book very clearly.

It was a few minutes before a soft whimpering was hear fallowed by that distinct scratching at the door of a dog (in this case by the sound of it a small one) desperately begging to get in. Half formed yips were heard, as if the little canine was afraid to be much louder.

The human lifted her head again to stare out the window. What in the world was going on out there?

The scratching increased with whining, and would attract the attention of the bigger dog inside. Whatever was out really, really wanted IN!

A whine made the girl turn to see her own dog enter the room and jump up onto the bed. The black lab laid down with an uneasy sigh, eyes on the window and growling slightly. "You have any idea what's going on out there?" Mic randomly asked, knowing there would be no answer from the dog.

Something moved near the window in Mic's line of sight, though the form outside was just out of proper sight. It moved low to the ground and in a fluid motion before going out of sight, heading to the back yard.

When the inhuman shape suddenly moved outside the window, she found her voice caught in her throat from surprise and fear. Abby however, let lose a loud warning growl and shot up on the bed, barking madly. Mic jumped up and left the room, shutting her dog inside and running through the house toward the back.

Through some windows there were glimpses of the form, it had no distinct outline but the closer it got to the back the closer it came to the house. Moving with a distinct predatory way for the back porch were the little dog was still begging to be let in.

Tripping over a chair, Mic thought she saw something at the screen door leading into the backyard, but her view was cut off on falling to the floor. At this point the dog's cries were so fearful that she felt her chest tighten in pain. What could be out there? She began to stand up again, eyes staring forward.

Panicked, more terrified yipping came from the back door as the dog outside gave up on being quite. A low un-earthly growl was hear, but not at the porch yet.

On hearing the low, dangerous rumble, Mic froze and stared from hiding slightly behind the fallen chair, watching the panicking dog and wanting nothing more than to run over and let it in, but her own suddenly spiked fear rooted her to the spot.

The little dog bolted, evidently just in time because something big, dark red and brown (or black?) thudded down on the porch where the dog had been. The form, somewhat a cross between a humanoid shape and animalistic and it skidded on the porch as it twisted, a wedged shaped head was whipping around to fallow the movement of the fleeing dog. bright green shaded eyes were the only clearly visible things about it as the thing snarled and launched after.

Seeing the large, inhuman shape land on the concrete area outside of the screen, Mic's eyes widened, half in fear and the other in confusion. The shape was obviously NOT anything near a human, but it seemed humanoid from she could tell, having only caught a glimpse of it. Shaking, she stood to her feet, and started forward.

A snarling, partly howl but more roar was heard, over riding the dog outside and the bigger un-known form skidded around. Dark claws flashed out, just shy of snaring the small dog that had run to the far back of the yard and then back, leaving the predatory to overbalance at the sharp turn and crash into a row of bushes.

Mic had gotten enough courage to slightly open the door, when she heard the strange howl, followed by bushes rustling wildly. She stood for a moment, debating to herself, when curiosity finally won out despite the fear coursing through her body. She fully stepped outside with a deep breath.

The little dog, a Chihuahua, burst out of the dark and bolted to Mic, whining for protection and then skittered inside the open screen door. Though it wasn't it's home the dog would find a place to hide in there non the less. A low growl, deeper than any dog or big cat came from the darkness of the yard. Sounding annoyed, somehow, and that partly human-ish more predatory form detached from the bushes.

"What-?" Mic turned her head from watching the poor little dog run into her house, toward the noise and bushes. Finding a lawn chair in the way, she pressed forward slightly to get a better look. She froze in her tracks on seeing the dark form; a rather LARGE dark form rising up.

Though she couldn't quite see it, the for shook it's head and opened both sets of lids so bright green eyes were visible...no, it was more like two shades, of darker forest green vertical 'slits' on an emerald background. The un-earthly gaze were glowing in the darkness by their own light, and were staring fixedly at Mic.

The unearthly eyes seemed to had hypnotized her. Either that or she was to afraid to move. The creature's gaze bore into her sternly, and she found that her mouth was open, yet the scream was unable to come out. All she saw was the creature standing before her.

The green eyes didn't blink as the... being slowly stalked forward. The body of the being could move as easily onto two legs as four as it was now. Moving with an unnerving grace that was fluid grace, a tail coming into focus behind it the closer it got to the porch. What little light there was reflected off dark red...metal?

"Malor na' ke'ta satuni kam'i Rahi." The dark form, not quite robot but not fully organic either, almost purred out the...words? And was it baring its fangs or...smirking?

Mic shivered at the beastly expression, but her mind was spinning at what she had heard. "Y-You speak," she said in a raspy whisper. 'But I don't know what it said... why do I have a bad feeling?' Her legs were shaking so bad, she thought for sure the being was amused at her fear.

"Naruso..." the predator said, drawling out the word in a purr that would have been nice in, say, a tiger, but it had a vague mocking edge to it as the being slid closer to Mic, now only ten feet away.

Her breath came out in quick pants as the creature came closer. A bit of moonlight shone through as a cloud passed, long enough for her to get a better glimpse at it. "N-No-! Is this...? V... Vakama... Hordika-!"

The Hordika froze, the darker 'pupils' narrowing before it- he growled. The sound not like anything the slightly playful tone from a few moments before but a notably darker edge. No longer taking his time he moved swiftly to the human.

"Oh no, no, no, no..." Mic scrambled backwards frantically, the backs of her legs colliding with a flowerpot suddenly. She tripped as was rendered to the ground. The human had only begun to get to her feet when the Hordika made that dangerous noise again.

He could cleared the distance, the ten feet suddenly not seeming like that much as the large Hordika vaulted the last part so his heavily from fallowed the human down. Landing not exactly ON Mic but framing, pinning her down with his own person. The mutated Bionicle had to make an effect to activate his translation stone, not as good at the Kanohi Rau but hopefully it would work here.

"Nera Rahi...what...did you..." He twitched in annoyance since the words weren't quite coming out right, yet.

The human was trembling so hard now, and had let out a strangled shriek when he pinned her down swiftly. She made an effort to meet his eyes as best she could, but quickly shut them and turned her head with a moan-like whimper instead of replying.

The mutated Toa snarled at the almost-scream, grasping her upper arms, "Sp...eak Rahi...hooow do yoou know...me."

Mic yelped when her arms were grabbed tightly and looked to see the Hordika glaring at her. "I... I d-didn't know... you, you're r-r-real!" She squirmed as the shock ran through her mind, while a tiny part of it was in wonder over how this was truly possible.

That made Vakama pause, making a strange noise as he blinked a few times, not _as_ threatening as a moment ago but still admittedly scary.

'_Holy frag, he's real,_' Mic thought over and over again, her own eye wide. Her hands tried to reach up and push at his... arms? She suddenly remembered the fire-claw he had and visibly cringed. "Puh-please... let me go...?"

The Hordika didn't move, and then slowly shifted a bit more weight down, to be sure this...this... rahi that wasn't a rahi-animal-type wasn't going anywhere. "How do you...know me." he said again, the English words coming out more smoothly. But there wasn't that raw predator behind the words this time, he was interested now.

"Stories," she blurted, "Legends I g-guess. But that's all they were s'posed to be... you're a character I read about," Mic did a double-take on him, heart pounding at how REAL he was, and looked. For a moment the chance that she was only imagining it came to mind, but the pressure he used to hold her down was real enough.

He snorted as Mic said 'legends,' for a moment his fangs bared and then Vakama carefully sniffed first the human's cheek and then neck as, well, honestly the closest bare skin. He slowly eased back, "Maritu... what stories?" As far as he could tell Vakama wasn't in the Matoran Universe.

The human made no move when he invaded her personal space, but it took a moment for her to think of the right answer to his question. "Tons," she said. "Mostly about you Toa teams..." a thought struck and she said without thinking, "Did the others come here, too? Or is it just... you?"

Vakama growled, only to have it turn into a rumble. He actually didn't know and as he thought about it (he couldn't remember picking up their scents) and Vakama's eyes were fading from vivid greens to having traces of red and orange in them.

Noticing the color change of the eyes, Mic turned hopeful. "You... you DO remember them, don't you?" If only she knew if he had met with Roodaka yet or not, "Vakama?"

"..." he looked back down at his name, than Vakama was off, shaking his head and growling to himself on the porch, only a hand span or two away, "Brothers... Ga-gi."

Mic sat up and watched him carefully, interest keeping her from running in a frenzy. "Have you..." she swallowed, preparing herself. "...meet Roodaka yet?" _And did I just kill myself in asking...?_


	2. Chapter 2

Hordika Under the Bed

Vakama growled, flinching at the name and drawing farther away from the human... like he was expecting pain and trying to meld into the darkness and watched Mic with those multi-shaded eyes.

"Oh," she lowered her head. "You have..." Mic looked at his dark form, suddenly feeling sorry for him. "It's going to end alright," the human said. "It will be."

"And... how would you know Rahi?" Vakama demanded prowling back over, snarling but at memories, either way the large Hordika fangs unfolding from the roof of his mouth.

Mic scooted a few inches backward, eyes on him, or more likely his fangs. "I... know the end of the story," she blurted. "Y-You've got big fangs..." Oh, how stupid could she possibly get?

He paused, blinking again and them seemed amused by that, "Good for hunting."

"Th-That," she was still scooting backwards, a look of utter awe and fear aimed at the deadly fangs. "-wasn't ever shown in the... movies."

Vakama's bioluminescent eyes narrowed, the 'pupils' slitting thinner as he moved almost right on top of Mic again. He apparently had no personal space anymore and his muzzle was nearly touching her nose. The Hordika flexed his claws, digging groves in the porch floor, "What movies?"

Heart beating rapidly, Mic groaned to herself and her big mouth. Explaining a movie to a Hordika was not very easy, "A film showing your time... your team's time... as Hordika. P-Picture something similar to maybe a vision."

"I know what a vid is," Vakama rumbled, sounding like it came from deep in his chest, "How would Rahi of an unknown magna know of Bionicle?"

"Like I said," she replied. "You... Bionicle's are just stories meant for... um... entertainment mostly." Well that was the truth after all.

The Hordika made a somewhat disgusted noise at that, humping his back and in reaction there was a humm of power from the spinner. "_Entertainment?_" Vakama hissed, fangs bared again, "What the frag is entertainment about being...being mutated into _this?_ All the darkness and pain we're going through?"

A fresh batch of fear pumped through Mic as she cowered as low to the ground as possible. "Of course it's horrible, being mutated, but it's the fact that it's a battle of good and evil that has us interested 'cause... oh heaven what have I done..."

"You should start making sense rahi," Vakama flashed his killing fangs a moment, but he was staying still, not pressing closer or, you know, trying to eat Mic. So that was a plus.

"Forget I said entertainment," she said, eyes on his muzzle. "And I'm not a rahi,"

"Not so easy," Vakama ignored the later part of what she said, as far as he was concerned she was a Rahi. Not an animal-rahi but... He dig his claws into the floor again, "Explain these stories, I don't have all night." Well, he did actually, no need to tell the human that though.

Well since he seemed to be asking for it..."Fine," she said quietly. "I know all about you being a Matoran maskmaker, a Toa Metru, A Hordika, and later on a Turaga. After that the story changes to focus on another set of Toa that need to awaken the Great Spirit..." Mic stopped realizing she was giving away information

Vakama sat back, his eyes altering fully from green shades to a red backdrop with a horizontal, orange, pupil. His gaze was notable softer now as he blinked both sets of lids in confusion. "As a Matoran...Turaga?"

"I said it was going to end alright, didn't I?" Mic said softly, starting to sit up again, but having the good mind not to make any sudden moves in the presence of the Hordika. "But I've said too much already."

Vakama huffed, "Too late for saying _that._" He muttered, sitting down and curling his tail over his forepaws. And they were more paw like then hand-like, he regarded his tail thoughtfully before looking up. "Show me."

"S-Show you!" she stammered, eyes wide. Quick, think of some way to change the topic. Mic wasn't too sure if showing him anything would be alright or not... or if it's make him madder. "But what about... you, how did you get into this world?"

"Keep on subject." Vakama said firmly, not to be sidetracked since he didn't know how he ended up on this Magna.

Mic bit her lip. She did not have the specific movie of the Hordika, but she knew she owned a comic. An idea suddenly came to mind as she remembered something. She got to her feet. "I'll be right back."

Vakama growled softly but shifted, watching the human but he didn't move to stop her. Yet some careful sniffs he could smell those little fuzzy Rahi and the Hordika made an interesting part-whine as his stomachs growled.

Eyebrows rising slightly as she heard the whine coming from him behind her, Mic calmly walked to the door and entered, not even bothering to make sure if it closed by itself or not since it had obviously done so earlier. The dog Vakama had been chasing was hidden under the coffee table, shivering and whimpering. She scooped it up and set it in the bathroom with a dog biscuit, shutting the door tight. She then ran into her room, where Abby was surprisingly huddled on the bed instead of barking and trying to claw her way out. '_She must be afraid to move,_' Mic realized.

And no wonder.

Seeing the familiar piece of paper on the wall, she grabbed it and headed back to the Hordika.

Vakama was just starting to poke his muzzle inside, carefully opening the door more. The mutated Bionicle sniffed the floor as he hunkered low, his sniffed constantly as he moved farther in, fallowing a table leg up to the underside of table.

Mic had just rounded a corner only jerk to a stop, not used to seeing a large Hordika in the dining room. The human blinked and pulled herself together, watching as he sniffed, glancing back to make sure both the bathroom and bedroom doors were shut tight, dogs protected inside. '_Well... I did forget to ask him to stay outside. I don't think he'd have listened anyway._'

Vakama turned, looking back at Mic when he sensed, or smelled her (or just heard her coming really). The Hordika winced a little as his stomachs complained again, shifting around so he was under the table fully and eyeing the human as if in some safety. Though why would he need safety?

Just knowing he was eying her with his unearthly gaze sent chills down her spine, but she cocked her head at his position under the table. Glancing back at the paper she went forward and got down on her hands and knees and held it out to him; it was a very detailed drawing of himself in Metru Nui.

The Hordika slid closer to the offered paper and Mic. Though Vakama was still low to the ground and bit hunched up, he was still a good size. It took a few confused moments before he looked over the page, looking fixedly into the human's eyes. "...?"

Mic felt herself relax more, since he hadn't gotten outraged and pinned her again. "I don't want to show you anything that could... change the story and your future," she explained, hoping he'd understand. "There's also a comic if you want that..." she trailed off.

"History happens in the present." Vakama said sliding out from under the table, and then unexpectedly the Hordika moved closer, only to curl around behind Mic. Up close without the threat of possibly being eaten, Vakama was much nicer to be near. His armored body wasn't fully metal on the outside in this mutated state, and he was notable warmer then the air.

He flicked his tail over and in front to Mic so she was pulled up against him, "If you didn't know I was going to be here, and then those stories are wrong...or don't hold everything. Show me."

"Ahm," Mic wasn't sure how to react to this, but his request (more like order) replayed in her mind. Evidently there was no pleasing Vakama unless he got what he wanted. She turned her head as much as she could to try and face him, but the size of the Hordika made it so that she had to look up as well. "...alright." she said, sounding defeated.

The Hordika purred at her acquiescence, the sound as much, if not more felt as a deep vibration as heard this close. Then, even though Vakama was 'feral' he was still very much Hordika so the dark red being pushed his muzzle into Mic's inner-personal space and gave her a lick from neck to cheek. Thankfully it wasn't like a dog's lick-kiss, barely any true saliva.

But it was still different.

She was very surprised, but found her body slowly losing the tension that had arose just a few moments ago. She nodded to herself and began to pull away carefully, thinking about the laptop that she could use to find more information for him.

Of course the Hordika was no help at all and prowled behind Mic, not letting her out of his sight now as he fallowed. But at least he wasn't 'stalking.' He did however turn his head in the direction of where the dogs were with a low growl.

Maybe that should be taken care of first...

The human found the device in her brother's room. Actually it was not her own computer; that one was in her own room with Abby. For her dog's own safety, she decided to get the other one instead, careful not to step on the various lego objects littering the boy's room.

"Um, try not to step on anything..." She lifted the electronic up, momentarily wondering if she should tell him that in this world he was a popular toy.

Maybe that wasn't at all the best to tell him.

An odd sound was heard from behind Mic, the Hordika was balanced on his claws so not to step on anything (or possibly get bitten). But his head swung to the right and fixed that predator gaze on something, tilting his head one way and then another.

Then, Vakama chirped.


	3. Chapter 3

Hordika Under the Bed

Vakama chirped.

Mic gaped. The Hordika just... The odd pose he had taken on, accompanied with the sound he just made suddenly proved itself to be rather funny in her mind. A giggle sounded, before she quickly covered her mouth. Even Hordika seemed to know how much stepping on a lego would hurt it seemed to her.

Vakama glanced at Mic with one eye before returning his attention to what ever had caught it. He had a slightly funny high step as he moved into the room with her. Careful to keep his tail up but not swaying, the Hordika reached out to pick something up.

Mic followed his movements with her eyes, the traces of a smile starting to fade. "What are you doing...?"

The Hordika made that chirp again and balanced on three legs. Holding something doll sized, but colored gold and red. "Lhikan...?"

The smile vanished completely and Mic's mind raced to come up with an excuse... and none came. She closed her eyes with a silent sigh, knowing this would have happened sooner or later once Vakama had gotten inside. Wordlessly, she set the laptop down and quietly walked up in front of him, reaching out and laying a hand over the doll. "He's very respected here, Vakama. A figure most parents would like their children to know about. It's easier for them to understand with something like this..."

Okay, so SOME of it might be a bit stretched, but it could be accounted for as the truth in some cases, she was sure.

Vakama's claws were very carefully holding the figure of Lhikan, his eyes not exactly on it but more staring out in to space. Maybe back into memory. A whine came out of the Hordika as Vakama seemed to just then _see_ his hand/paw and the arm, and his tail lowered.

Recognizing sadness when she saw it, the human paused for a moment before slowly reaching out and laying her hand on his mutated shoulder, meaning to be comforting to the Hordika. On doing so, she realized to herself that it was the first time she had ever dared touching him, other than pleading for him to let her go earlier.

It took a moment before Vakama tilted his heads and pushed it against the human, though he remained as balance as he could on his claws. Admirably, Vakama was tired, hungry (starved) and essentially torn away from his brother Toa and world... It wasn't a good month.

Mic used her other hand to gently stroke his distorted head. Right now she wasn't seeing a killing beast-like creature like before. This was someone who did have the ability to feel sorrow and pain. She removed her stroking hand and gently pried the Bionicle doll from him, "Come on let's see if I can find you something to eat, okay?"

Since her gentle tone was so different from what he was used to lately, Vakama gave another chirp and a soft grumbling in his throat. Once again using the high-step not to, well, step on anything as he followed her out of the room, and more than once his stomachs proclaimed they were starved.

She left the doll behind, and hopefully the bad memories with it for her unusual house guest, thankful that she was alone in the house for the rest of the night due to her family's current plans. Not that she minded, though it was now clear how much of a guard dog Abby had turned out to be...

"Mm," she hummed to herself with a frown as they came into the living room. "Wait here," she said to Vakama and entered the kitchen in search of whatever she had that could feed him. She settled with a few leftover hamburgers from a cookout, not bothering to remove them from the dish, Mic walked back to the Hordika and set it down before him. "I, uh, think these should be good."

Vakama sniffed at the bowl, licked almost daintily, and then snapped up the first when he realized it was meat. The mutated Toa half growled, half purred as he made short work of the offering and even licked the dish clean.

Vakama was _definitely_ a carnivore.

Mic smiled, happy that he seemed to have enjoyed it, though she was also awed at the way he had munched the meat up so quickly, also having seen those ever-scary fangs he owned. Tipping her head she heard tiny paws clawing and remembered the little dog. "I'll be right back," she turned and headed for the bathroom and unknown dog.

The Hordika looked up from checking, 'just in case' he had missed something. But no, there was nothing left. Well, at least in was meat, and now Vakama took a more interested look around the living room area. In a few minutes he had somehow pulled out a Bohrok toy out from under the couch and made interested sounds that ranged from soft critters to that chirp again.

Mic came out from the hall with the Chihuahua in her hands, quickly taking it to the front door to release it since it was crying and attacking her hands with nails and teeth in a frenzy, having obviously spotted Vakama. She hissed to herself and hastily put it outside, where it dashed off into the darkness.

The Hordika didn't notice his former prey, seemingly to be acting more like a determined cat...big, dark red, armored and scary cat... and by the time Mic had come back he had found a button, a broken pencil, a dog basic (that he ate) and some random shinny thing that turned out to be a key. Vakama sat, tail tip twitching as he regarded this strange treasure between his forepaws.

Hordika were sometimes easily entertained.

She stood behind the couch, one of her palms housing a band aid, and looked at all the things the Hordika had found while she was gone. She slightly rubbed her temple and walked over and near him, laptop under one arm.

Vakama looked up, tilting his head and sniffed again. Evidently Hordika relied more heavily on they sense of smell then one would think at first. "What is that?" He asked.

"This is a computer laptop. I can use it to access tons of information that's listed and posted on something known as the internet," Mic explained, sitting on the floor with her back to the couch, the laptop before her as she worked to turn it on.

Vakama murmured something in Bionicle as he abandoned most of his 'mini-horde,' holding the Bohrok toy in his left hand/paw as he moved over. He demonstrated the complete lack of Hordika personal space again as he...wiggled and almost but not exactly forcefully pushed his way between Mic and the couch. After much nervous squirming between the two Vakama was surprisingly comfortably curled snuggly close to Mic.

Despite it all, Hordika, Bionicle were very social creatures. More so the Toa who _needed_ to protect like a craving. The Hordika basic instincts were to have a pack, even if it was temporary and just two. In other words, Vakama wasn't going to let go now, and his tail was almost possessively curled around Mic's waist and hips.

The human was beginning to get used to Vakama ignoring personal space, and as she waited for the computer to fully come online, she looked down at the Hordika's tail holding her, perplexed. The movies didn't show that either. Could there be more to the Bionicle than ever fully told in the books?

More curled around behind her so Mic was leaning against him instead of the couch, Vakama's head was resting on his tail and under her forearm. It might interfere a little with typing but it let Vakama see the laptop screen.

The screen grew brighter in the darkened room and Mic summoned up the internet. She glanced at Vakama's head and was grateful for the heat the Hordika gave off, especially with the tiled floor being so cold at night. "It's Mic," she murmured suddenly.

One eye looked up at her, up close the Hordika's odd yet eerily pretty eyes were more than two shades. The horizontal, pupils were lighter in the center instead of solid orange and the red backdrop was more mixed red shades. "...I'm sorry I almost..." Vakama stopped, wincing. He seemed to be getting his true mindset back.

Her mouth twitched in a small forgiving smile. "It's alright," Up close, his head was much larger then a human or big dog's head, and for a moment she just stared at his eye. Quickly she turned back to the computer screen. "Um... what would you like to see first?"

"You said there were vids?" Vakama asked, shifting his wedge shaped head a little, giving a deep rumble.

"Yes," she said, semi-reluctance in her voice. She still wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do... plus Mic was dreading certain reactions from the Hordika if he saw something that would upset him. '_Darn my big mouth._'

"Then start there." Vakama said after a moment, seeming to settle down more around Mic. It would be easier then straining to translate the strange written words of this world.

She made an 'okay' sounding noise and lifted her elbow from resting on his head to type. Youtube came up and she sighed, typing in Legends of Metru Nui. Somewhere outside, a car's brakes screeched loudly followed by male voices hooting in the distance.

Vakama's head came up, looking at where the sound outside had come from. The movement was quick and smooth and had Hordika had ears they would have been picked up. But Vakama's attention swung around back to the laptop when the opening of the move started.

The mutated Hordika made that grumbling sound again before it changed to an interesting chitter as he heard the 'Turaga Vakama's' voice start talking.

Mic was about to turn her full attention to the movie when she realized her cell phone had gone missing from her pocket. Thinking it had fallen when she was in the backyard, she began wiggle herself away from Vakama, alerting that she wanted him to let go, saying, "I'll be right back, I uh forgot something,"

It took a few moments before the human could fully disentangle herself from Vakama, who oddly didn't seem to want her to go. The image of Lhikan on the computer though drew all his attention until it was riveted on the screen. Slowly edging closer and tilted his head.

It was noticeable, every time something to do with Lhikan came up, Vakama reacted. Though never a bad reaction if one thought about, maybe the relationship he had with the once sol protector had been greater than the movie suggested. Not in the romantic sense of course but something was there.

While Vakama was watching the screen of the laptop, Mic found her phone in the ground behind the flowerpot, and just in time too, for more clouds had set in and rain began to drizzle. She hurried inside and shut the door, locking it out of habit and checked her messages as she made her way back to the Hordika. Mic's ears picked up the sound of Lhikan's voice during the scene when the six Matoran were about to turn into Toa and she cringed, knowing it must be hard for Vakama.

She saw him staring intently at the screen and quietly moved closer before crouching across from his head. "If it upsets you, Vakama, you don't have to watch it..."

"No..." Vakama muttered in his throat with a little shake of his head. "He said more than that." He added, tail twitching.

The human blinked, puzzled, and leaned closer to face the screen. "Really?"

The Hordika shifted, and it was clear he hadn't really sat or laid back down since Mic had left, and he was balanced on his paws awkwardly. "We listened to him several times...more after we were bitten." Vakama's gazed glanced down to his visible left hip and the rather nasty looking bite mark that was barely scabbed over and looking like it had been torn open a few times.

On following his gaze and her eyes widened at the wound, more in surprise that she never noticed it before. Tentatively, she touched just along the outline of it with concern in her dark eyes as she examined it, completely forgetting the movie. "Does it hurt? It's so nasty."

Vakama muttered in Bionicle, the words audible though alien yet had an agreeing edge to them. The bite mark, that took up almost all of Vakama's thigh was dark in color, just slightly darker then the armor, and that's why it had escaped notice thus far. That and his teeth and claws had been more of a priority to keep an eye on mostly. Upon a closer look Mic would fine that the bite mark, what had to be where the Visorak had gotten Vakama, was stained a purple shade.

Forgetting her usual squeamishness about ugly wounds, Mic firmly set her jaw, suddenly determined. "There's no way that'll heal properly unless it's covered." She backed up and got to her feet, thinking of the first aid kit in the bathroom that she could use. "Wait here, 'kay?"

The mutated Toa peered after Mic with a confused chirp, glancing back to the laptop in time to see the Toa Matau body-plant against the chute tube and snorted in amusement. Fangs bared in a wide grin, he hadn't known about that. Soft sounds of chirps and a little trill came from the Hordika, almost like he was talking to himself without realizing.

Mic came back with a roll of white elastic-like wrap and a few cotton bandage pads. Seeing the Hordika engrossed in the movie, she knelt next to the wound and pressed the cotton onto it, applying more and more until the entire bite was covered. She peeked at Vakama while she worked to see that he had glanced back before turning to the screen, continuing to make his strange animalistic noises.

Now came the tougher part. The girl started to unroll the wrap while wondering if it would be long enough to hold the cotton tightly. She flung the wrap over his thigh and had to climb over him to reach the other end and continue to wrap it. She tugged at it once reaching the end and knotted it off. Still in the odd position, she nodded approvingly. "There. That should do it."

It was only after she was done that Mic would realize that Vakama hadn't been oblivious as she worked. He had shifted a little bit at a time until his leg had been in the perfect position. Vakama had one careful and leery eye on what Mic was doing, as if half expecting to be hurt.

What had he gone through?

She pulled herself away and into a sitting position a few inches from him, seeing that he was watching her and wondering if helping him had somehow offended him. It was expressed in Bionicle 3 that the mutated Toa severely wanted to do things on his own after all. Then again she could never be sure about the Hordika anymore, not after tonight. "Are... are you alright?" she asked carefully.

Slowly, the Hordika reached over and moved closer. It was a surprisingly gentle move what happened as Mic was pulled over and Vakama pushed his head under the humans chin and a deep vibrating purr came out of the Hordika. It was like and unlike a cat, or tiger more like it, but had several layers in the sound.

The action managed to catch her slightly off guard, and because of it she fell back a bit before supporting herself with her arm behind her. The amazingly deep vibrations of the Hordika's purrs racked her neck gently, while her pulse was noticeably beating faintly against it. Mic blinked and unconsciously brought her hand up and stroked the ridge above one of his eyes. "You're welcome,"

Impossibly, Vakama's purr seemed to deepen at her touch and he leaned more against Mic, shifting in an attempt to get closer without braking contact. The Hordika's clawed paws twitched along with his tail before he slowly started to relax for the first time. All the time he was purring, in both the exhale and inhale of breath.

The human raised her eyebrows before a soft grin split her face. '_Must have found a Spot I guess._' She glanced at the computer to see that the ten-minute part of the movie had ended, and the next part had yet to be clicked on. At the moment, she was trying very hard not to fall over completely. Vakama was obviously VERY relaxed, and she was grateful for that, but he seemed to have forgotten how heavy and large he was compared to Mic. The arm supporting her was shaking now at the strain. '_Oh boy..._'

Mic didn't have to worry long for Vakama slid down, more to the side and thumped down after a few more moments. He grunted 'hitting' the floor, instead of strapping out of it, the Hordika continued to purr.

...was he hypnotized?

She tipped her head at him. "Um...?" Mic opened her mouth while reaching toward him, but it closed and she drew her hand back. Now was one of the times where she had a perfect view of the powerful Rhotuka spinner on his back, and she stared in awe at it for a very long moment. The details and reality of Vakama's true being... she doubted she would ever not be surprised at it.

However the Hordika's thud on the floor beside her and the fact he was not moving and kept purring had her slightly worried... but it was still rather funny. And she wasn't even stroking his spot anymore.

Vakama blinked first his inner and then outer lids slowly at empty space, his forepaws kneaded at nothing. Then he blinked again, sniffed and half rolled on his right side, not quite on his back and peered up at the human from his new possession. He purred in a lighter tone but didn't say anything, and despite it all he seemed cute now, if you ignored the teeth and the claws.

Mic gave him a cheeky grin. He was like a giant cat... Emphasis on giant. His form took up a good size of the floor. Hard to think this was the same being that had seemed like he was going to eat her nearly forty-or-so minutes ago. "You know something, the books and movies never showed you like this," she blurted, cheeks oddly growing hot.

The Hordika blinked again, tilted his head so it was almost upside down. He licked his muzzle and curled his tail around so the last half wrapped loosely around Mic. "Stories and legions don't tell all of the truth or details." Vakama said as he yawned widely, his odd position giving the human an unexpectedly good view of the inside of his mouth, including how those killing fangs folded up into the roof as well as the venom glands under the red/purple tinted skin.

"Yeah no kidding," Mic's eyes were fixed on the fangs and venom glands, nervously tensing. When he shut his mouth turned her attention to his tail. "There was nothing about that," she pointed at it.

"Try walking without it as a Hordika." Vakama sighed deeply, remembering all too clearly what it was like before the tail had grown fully. Neither he nor the other mutated Toa could take more than two steps upright before falling over until they had their tails proper.

Mic cringed at the thought of having a tail and leaned away, causing his own to drop unintentionally from her as she reached for the keyboard of the computer, or rather the touch mouse. She brought up the next part of the movie and paused it since it was taking it's time loading. "I can't imagine having a tail... it'd be weird."

"It's not hard," Vakama said, twisting to look at the laptop screen, the end of his tail tapping against Mic's leg, but in a way that he probably didn't know.


	4. Chapter 4

Hordika Under the Bed

They had finished the movie, and the first part of Web of Shadows was loading when Mic turned to the Hordika. "I'm getting a drink. Want anything?"

Vakama opened his mouth to say something, actually echoing the word, "Water?" at the same time his stomachs growled again. This time he looked a bit embarrassed by it.

Mic did another take on his size. A cup wouldn't work for him... she came up with an idea. "Alright, follow me," and she turned toward the kitchen where she began to fill the sink, knowing she had cleaned it earlier so it would do for him. As it was filling up she turned and searched for some more food for him, opening the fridge door.

The Hordika could just peer over the counter edged on all fours, he shifted and rose partly on his hind legs, tail lifting up and moving as a counter balance. He eyed the blocked sink that was filling up now half way, one final sniff and then Vakama plunged his muzzle in and started drinking with a look of intent concentration as he braced himself on the counter edge.

Mic stood back from the fridge and shut the door, a juice box in one hand for herself, and a packet of hot dogs in the other for Vakama. However, the already tight space of the small kitchen combined with the Hordika made a sudden problem, for she did not see his tail until the last moment and even then it was too late. "Wah-!" Mic did a hard face-plant on the floor.

Vakama's head snapped up and around, sending some water around as he tried to both chirp in statement and not loose what water he had in his mouth. As a result he made a gargling sound, nearly chocked and once he could swallow and not breath the liquid, Vakama coughed. Shaking his head the mutated Bionicle twisted around to sniff at Mic's shoulder and the back of her neck before giving her a lick, "You okay?"

She lifted her face from the floor and felt it with a hand, fingers making contact with a scrape on her cheekbone and a tad bit of blood. "Yeah... no the first time I ever fell down on this floor... usually don't land on my face though, oww... did you get enough water?" she said, slowly standing up again.

Vakama murmured as he stayed almost too close, and alarmingly he grasped Mic and pulled her even closer as he licked over the scrap on her face more than a few times. What was strange (other then, you know, having those fangs way too close) what how the sting of the scrap was numbed away with each lick.

The true Hordika venom that comes from the Hordika, it paralyzes when ejected into their prey and/or enemy. But their venom glands were constantly producing, unlike snakes, so the Hordika end up swallowing quite a lot of it, thus becoming immune to it, and it gets into the saliva. In turn, the saliva acted as a pain killer; it was this that had numbed the Visorak-bite on his thigh most of the time.

The human gave a fearful gasp when Vakama went to work on the scrape, ultimately stunned at how _close_ his fangs were. It was stupid to struggle against a Hordika, so she froze instead and her eyes widened as the sting died down with each lick he gave her. It fact it was starting to go numb.

This was new.

Vakama's tail untwined from Mic- where had that come from anyways?- as the Hordika backed up once the light bleeding had stopped. He tilted his head, looking the human in the eyes, not exactly confused to why she was afraid (Vakama could smell it really) but not bothered by it as he turned back and started drinking again.

Hordika were strange, they really were.

Feeling the numbed area on her face she watched him as he drank. Hordika saliva could act as a pain killer... yet another thing that was never mentioned. "Thanks," she said, and bent over to pick up the hot dogs and juice box from the floor.

The mutated Bionicle made another gurgling sound, more so since he was still drinking deeply and lowering the water level in the sink that had been threatening to over-spill. It was amazing that he could do this in and of itself, and it was something that was relatively normal. Besides filling up one of stomachs with water made him feel less hungry, not that having two stomachs did help, the hotdogs were destined to go the smaller of the two.

Mic dumped the six hotdogs onto a plate and set it back in the living room, on the floor near their 'movie-watching spot.' She went back into the kitchen, still fingering the spot where Vakama had licked her scrape and wondering how long the numbness would stay around, but she wasn't concerned. This time she stayed well out of his way as the Hordika drank, as she reached over and turned the faucet off when he started to slacken, meaning he was nearing the end of his drinking. There was still a good amount of water left, so she left him to it and went back to the computer, sitting cross-legged as she quickly did a check on the email.

Vakama came in after a few minutes, walking slower than he had before but at the same time looking much better as he licked his muzzle. It didn't take very long for the Hordika to home in on hotdogs, thankfully they confused him enough that Vakama didn't inhale the things like with hamburgers.

As content with the world as Vakama could be, all things considering, the mutated Toa eased himself down around behind Mic again. Curling his neck and tail around her before his head rested on her lap once more.

Now he was ready for the next movie.

Mic gave his head a few strokes, knowing that the movie would be darker and he would mostly have some sort of reaction to it. She clicked the 'play' button on the screen and brought her juice box's straw to her lips.

The Hordika rumbled in reaction to her touch, his glowing gaze back on the laptop. He growled a few times, and then huffed after the scene with the mutation. "It didn't happen that fast." Vakama grunted, baring his fangs silently, but only for a moment.

"I'm sure," Mic glanced at the digital clock on the entertainment center, seeing that it read 11:12. No problem. She'd been up later during sleepovers... though this was far from anything of the sort, of course. But it was still a new experience. Rahaga Norik and his team had rescued the Toa and were flying off on the screen. She was curious to know if other things had happened off screen... which there probably had been.

Soft murmured came from Vakama as he kept tilting his a little to one side and another, snorting in amusement more than once. Then, when the time came for the Vakama in the movie walked out, the Hordika growled at the movie, speaking in Bionicle. By the sounds of it almost like he was scolding the little version of himself.

Listening to the Hordika speak in his own tongue was rather interesting. Looking from him to the movie Vakama, Mic could understand him being upset... the Vakama on there looked like a wimp next to the real one. Especially without the fangs. The parts with Roodaka were soon to come up, and that was what Mic dreaded the most.

He tensed, a growl starting and vibrating out of him at the Vortixx, but then the growl bled away. The Hordika blinked both sets of lids a few times, "...she's worse than that." Vakama judged, relaxing his grip on Mic and calming down. Though he did twitch more than a few times hearing Roodaka's voice.

"For once I don't want to know," Mic answered. She eased herself into a more lying down position, with her head and shoulders being the only thing propped up against him instead of her entire back. When the ten-minute part ended she brought up the next one and paused it as it began to load, glancing at his head. "It's going to show you things that haven't happen yet you know... it could really change things."

"This doesn't really line up." Vakama said licking a scratch on the organic part on his wrist, "There was nothing about the Avohkii, or the hunt for the life stones, and this is giving the impression of, maybe a week, tops." The mutated Bionicle scrunched up oddly to use his hind leg to try and scratched his neck, then his forepaw when that didn't work but couldn't seem to get the right angle. "I've been a Hordika for over two months."

Mic sat up abruptly. There was long moment where the human just stared at him as he tried to scratch himself, her mouth slightly open at the new information, "_What?_ That long?"

Vakama blinked his inner lids at her, pausing mid-motion of scratching and confused at her reaction, "Yes, that long. Roodaka caught me an eight-day ago."

Mic blinked, suddenly confused, "An eight-day ago? What do you mean?"

"An eight-day..." Vakama frowned, sounding out the, to him, odd word. "...week is the closest word for it in your tongue."

"Oh," she nodded, understanding better. Mic then pushed the play button for the next part and edged her way back down again.

The Hordika chirped at her than, tilting his head to expose that itchy spot just behind his head that he couldn't ease. With one eye on the movie, Vakama curled his tail over Mic at the same time.

The girl smiled and rolled her eyes softly, reaching out to give the area a good scratch, being an expert since she was always doing it with Abby. At the same time she regarded his tail, beginning to actually like and get used to when he wrapped it around her like so.

Vakama rumbled in pleaser, and after a bit he sighed and rested his head on his crossed forepaws to finish watching the movie. He was so different that that creature from earlier, and yet there were more then hints of that predator...well, Vakama was still a predator in from. The Hordika still gave off enough heat that would have been worrisome in a human...

This was, basically, very cool in other words.

There was a _live_, breathing and _real_ Hordika virtually cuddled up to Mic.

She sighed too, eyes on the movie but she wasn't truly paying attention anymore. In her mind she was going over everything that had happened in the few hours she had meet the Hordika. Plus, knowing that she had the house to herself for another day meant he could stay, which was best considering he's give people a good scare if he were to be spotted outside. So in a way, their meeting had turned into a good thing.

Not to mention the fact that the Bionicle fangirl was actually leaning against one of the main characters, enjoying the heat. She grinned at herself and then looked to see which part the movie was at.

Vakama huffed at the movie, rumbled, made a face at it that showed half his killing fangs. "They didn't go after the Kanohi Avohkii at all..."

"Avohkii... oh," she raised her brows. "The mask of light..." She did remember something about it being mentioned on a site, but she hardly knew the details of the hunt for it. "Did you go after it?"

"Yes," Vakama nodded slowly, "The Rahaga have it now to protect."

It clicked in Mic's mind. "But they give it back to you and you hide it on Mata Nui for the seventh..." she stopped, catching herself again. If she had not been so close to Vakama, she would have face-palmed herself over and over again.

"The seventh Toa of light." Vakama finished, "Who will start the work of reawaking the Great Spirit." A red and orange eye looked at Mic with no hidden amusement, "I know what it's for."

"Yeah, they made a movie about that too," Mic said with a small squirm of embarrassment. Apparently she really DID NOT know everything she thought she did.

The Hordika murmured something that could have been anything as he looked back at the movie, "I'm strangely not surprised."

"Thought not," Mic said with a yawn. Web of Shadows was nearing the part where Vakama and Matau would battle high on the Coliseum, an event that had not taken place in Vakama's life. For a moment she wondered if this would cause him to change on going back to Metru Nui... if he ever did, that it. But she chose not to think about that and waited to see the Hordika's reactions.

Vakama shifted uncomfortably as he watched that, lowering his head as he saw a version of himself do the things he had been so temped to do. Roodaka had been trying to turn him against his brother Toa, and the Matoran... feeling ashamed that a few times he had almost fully considered it the more he'd been starved and the more the Hordika side came through.

Seeing him like this made the human want to ask if he still wanted to see the rest, but she just remained silent. He had been the one to pretty much demand that he see the movies after all. "Matau's a good brother," she commented.

"He's an idiot." Vakama said, hesitated and then added in a softer tone, "But he is a good brother..."

"Sounds a bit like my brother," Mic muttered, smirking in memory of her own brother that was not present.

The Hordika hummed despite himself in time with the music with the credits of the movie. Yawning Vakama shifted, rolling onto his back and arching in a stretch, flexing out his claws. One almost but not really catching on Mic's cloths.

She grunted when her shirt's hem was lightly pulled forward, but quickly plucked it out of his claw. "Okay, I really gotta go use the bathroom, or my bladder's gonna kill me," she muttered.

Vakama froze at her words with a startled chirp, blinked, and then made a soft whimper as if he was suddenly realize that he _had_ drank so many gallons of water.

Mic had just gotten to her feet when she heard his whimper and all at once she realized what it meant, and her eyes widened. '_Aye Chihuahua..._' "Um, do you need to... you know?"

"Go." Vakama said, was he a little sheepish apparently the term 'go' was more or less universal, or at least between human and Bionicle.

"...allllright," Mic awkwardly stepped around him and motioned for him to follow back into the dinning room, where she opened the screen door. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to do it out here," she said, voice low because of the fear of disturbing or alerting neighbors. "I'll be inside," and she nervously turned and headed for the bathroom herself.

Vakama sighed deeply behind Mic before sliding outside, he did understand really. Back home the normal facilities didn't quite work right with a Hordika body. So, the mutated Bionicle slipped out into the darkness. Ten minutes, a dug in and re-fill in hole, three squirrels and one wild rabbit later Vakama was back on the porch, looking better as he licked his forepaws clean of some dark fluid that may not want to be known what it is.

Mic finished her own business, including checking up on Abby who remained shut in her room, and nervously peeked around a corner to see if Vakama was done as well. Apparently he was, though she didn't want to know about the fluid he was licking off his forepaws. She sighed tiredly and let him back in. "Better?" she asked, kneeling next to the still-running computer on the floor.

The Hordika gave himself a full body shake as he came bake inside, unable to help yawning widely again. By his time it was nearly dawn, thus normally when Vakama was settling in to sleep.

Apparently his yawn was contagious, as Mic did the same while she shut down the computer. The screen dimmed out completely taking the little light in the room with it. Knowing through memory, she reached up behind her and set it on the couch with a sigh, mumbling something about movie marathons. Turning, she located Vakama by his glowing eyes. "Are you tired?" '_Dumb question..._'

She got a huff in return as well as a soft chitter under his breath. His eyes vanished as he closed the inner lid for a moment before coming back out of the darkness, looking all around.

"You're welcome to sleep here, you know," the human said. "Something tells me you wouldn't fit in one of the beds... do you need anything?" she asked, watching his eyes since they were pretty much the only thing she could see.

"...Somewhere warm?" Vakama more asked then said, he was watching Mic back in return.

Mic turned away and crawled toward the wall, feeling for something. "We have an electric heater. It might not be what you're used to, but it's all I have," she said, finding the nearly two-foot tall heater and dragging it forward. "I can get some blankets, if you want." she added, searching for the switch.

The form of the Hordika came out of the darkness, essentially out of nowhere, curling around Mic and wrapping his tail around Mic fallowed by that vibrating purr. "I like live heat more." Vakama's voice said from almost too close.

Too tired to really protest at anything from the Hordika, Mic sighed head bowing. _'Well it's to be expected, I guess... what with that instinct for a pack and all._' "Can I at least get a blanket for myself?"

Vakama made a sound that somehow gave the impression of asking "why?" but he didn't resist the human pulling away. Actually he fallow silently behind her.

Mic motioned for him to stay outside the door as she entered her room, not wanting a bunch of chaos to break out between him and the dog curled in a ball on the bed. The human grabbed a thick blanket and draped it over herself, Darth Sidius style, before leaving the room and heading back to the living room. "This is strangest sleepover yet," she muttered under her breath. What else was there to call it anyhow?

"Sleep-over?" Vakama echoed from the darkness, he had the inner lids closed so he was almost invisible except a vague outline that was prowling around.

The blanket still draped over her head and shoulders, Mic nodded though she was not sure if he could see it. The human sat down on the floor, using the couch to find her way down, legs laid before her. "Yeah... something I do with my friends. Though instead of Bionicle movies we'd be watching Star Wars or other sci fi movies." She peered around, trying to spot him. "Vakama? Where are you?"

"Here," His eyes came back into their glowing...ness, seeming brighter in the dark. Vakama was almost right beside her and close enough that Mic could touch his muzzle.

"Oh," she yawned into her hand. "You don't need a mask to disappear y'know."

"I can change my colors," Vakama admitted as he nosed at her blanket, investigating it as he sniffed, "My Kanohi was activated like Whenua when we were mutated."

"Again, never showed in the books," Mic murmured as he did so, watching him with heavy eyes. "I'm never gonna be able t' read one without wonderin' what I'm missing..."

Vakama rumbled and then squirmed in closer. It took a few minutes, much squirming, twisting and several chirps before the Hordika was surprisingly comfortably curled around Mic.

Obviously used to Vakama's lack of personal space, the human had curled her own body in a half-way ball and lay with her back against the much warmer Hordika, somewhat leeching for his heat on the cold floor. Part of the blanket was scrunched up under the side of her face so it wouldn't be touching the floor. With what was left of the blanket she tried to wrap round her lower-body. Mic just had to tip her head upward while on the floor to see the Hordika's head from her position.


	5. Chapter 5

Hordika Under the Bed

Waking up the next morning was...different.

Mostly since sometime in the wee hours if the night (or morning depending on how you look at it) Vakama had sifted closer. The result was that Mic would find herself being cuddled up against the Hordika himself under the blanket, almost completely wrapped around her with arms, tail and head over hers. Somewhere in the sleeping time he had changed to his right side so the injured left thigh didn't have any extra presser on it.

Still partly lost in her slumber, Mic tried to shift onto her other side... only the action seemed to have been halted by something. In result she moaned softly and tried again with no luck. Her mind was confused, but not exactly wanting to wake up and investigate yet.

The Hordika rumbled a bit louder than the softer sleeping sounds in a relative quite protest of the movement. Vakama shifted so the end of his muzzle was resting over Mic's neck.

"Mm?" Mic didn't open her eyes, but a small part of her mind was still trying to figure out where she was... and when the heat had been turned up. Usually it'd be only on rare occasion when they'd turn it up in the house. But it was rather nice anyhow.

This heat was different though, if she paid close attention it was increasing slightly by a degree or two before dropping back. In truth it was in time with Vakama's steady breathing.

'_...wha?_' She blearily cracked her eyelids open, vision blurred by sleep. There was red... lots of red blotches, a rather large one sitting on her neck. Blinking a few times, but still half-asleep, Mic turned her head slightly while watching the blotch.

The blotch formed into a somewhat ridged muzzle. Vakama didn't move, he was almost completely limp, not truly grasping like the night before.

Realization clicked in her foggy mind and she smiled softly. She had become something of a human teddy bear to the Hordika it seemed, and she noted his tail once more. Mic wondered what time it was since the blinds blocked out a good amount of light and she couldn't even see them very well from the floor. So she shifted her body from side to side, trying to see if there was any hope of escape.

If Mic moved slowly, and was careful of not to let Vakama's head drop unexpectedly, she could slid out of his 'embrace.'

She considered possible ways of doing this without disturbing the Hordika's sleep. The blanket might have served as a replacement for her neck, but it was tangled around her too much to get undone without moving a whole lot. She then wondered if she could just wake him up momentarily... the human sighed deeply and reached carefully into her pocket, having slept in her clothes, and slowly pulled out her phone which she used to check the time. "Nine... fifteen?" she mumbled.

A huff of warm air came from the Hordika, he shifted and then stretched out on his side suddenly. Half rolled over Vakama yawned widely as he flexed his claws out, arched his tail and neck and...

...and flopped.

He did all that without waking up.

At least this had given Mic the moment to slide away. Still feeling tired she decided to simply ignore getting up and ready for the day. Instead she climbed onto the nearby cough and lay on her stomach, watching the Hordika with a sleepy grin.

He didn't move again, other the little motions of a twitching tail tip, the rising and falling on his side in breathing. In the coming light of day, outside of the darkness, Vakama's form was more visible, as well as the darker stripes down the Hordika's sides. From nose to tail and on his legs it was like a loose tiger patter, the stripes were a bit bigger though and only 'aiming' downwards. Each was a darker red-ish brown shade, and worked to break up his outline in the dark.

Mic admired Vakama's new details, now that they were more visible than before. Honestly, she couldn't get over the Hordika. He was intimidating, especially the fangs, yet he had some sort of beauty that could only be found in a Hordika. Norik had said something about the 'beast within' having a better side in the books... for once they were right it seemed. As she thought about this she began to fall back to sleep, enjoying the rare feeling of contentment. And here she had thought the weekend would be lonely and boring...

Somewhere in the hall, the faint sound of a dog's whine and scratching at the door could be heard, but the human had zoned out too much to notice it by now.

Vakama twitched, not fully dead to the world, moving his head a little to listen and debate waking up to investigating.

The dog in the closed off room could sense and smell the creature in the house, and she was not thrilled about it at all, clawing at the door with a few warning growls, knowing her human was out there somewhere with the Hordika. The dog was protective after all.

Said Hordika slowly opened the outer lid over his left eye, making the eye itself look more silvery and slightly blank. A audible growl rattled out of him in and automatic response to what he had heard.

The black lab's ears perked and for a moment she was silent. Then her head lifted higher on hearing a moan. That was HER HUMAN'S sound out there, with that creature! The dog growled louder and scratched the door again, nearly on the verge of barking.

Vakama make a face in his sleep, rolling onto his back and wiggling in an ungracefully way, but still getting a scratch itched. He lay like that for a moment before opening one eye and rolling back over again. Only this time he rose silently up to his feet.

Abby kept up the growling, but she was also listening intently for her human. More than anything the dog wished she could somehow be granted the ability to open closed doors... and she needed to go outside, too. None of this was making sense to Abby, especially since her human never went to sleep out of her sight. In the dog's mind, that was NOT right at all.

Something was suddenly on the other side of the door, having made no sound it was a surprise. The something/someone sniffed at the bottom of the door where there was that crack between the wood and the floor.

Abby's ears perked again and she sniffed at the bottom too, growling a question. The scent was not... normal somehow. The dog backed up and actually rose up on her hind legs, her forepaws on the door as she scratched again with a small bark. She absolutely NEEDED to get outside and do her business!

The sniffing on the other side didn't stop, but rose a little higher. There was a pause before the doorknob turned and the door itself was nudged inward. Vakama stood there, balanced on his hind legs, making full use of his tail for counter balance. The Hordika tilted his head. Near everything about him screamed 'predator!' but he didn't move, nor made any predator-y moves.

He just blinked both sets of lids at the dog.

The dog had stepped back when the door opened, but when she saw Vakama she froze for a moment. Then her tail lowered, faintly wagging nervously as she lowered her head too and stepped back, as if suddenly realizing that the creature was very... big. Abby was clearly too scared to bark, so she instead showed him submission, meaning he was dominant of her. Abby sat and watched him, ears down.

After a few long moments, Vakama huffed and dropped down to all fours, making a slight vibration but no loud thud as he turned himself around and walked off in a 'okay, you're okay' way. Heading to the door to the backyard to take care of his own business, nothing would work with his body in this place anyways.

Abby waited a few moments, before trotting out of the room headed on a course for the screen door, but she soon saw Mic sprawled out in a deep sleep on the couch and went over to wag her tail and give her a few sniffs first, just to see if she was alright. Then the dog went after Vakama, seeing as he was nearing the door. Whenever someone nears the door, she could count on getting outside since they would usually open it. Even so, the dog whined to alert him anyway.

The Hordika was carefully turning the doorknob on the back door and nosed his way out of the screened door, his tail held it open as he hesitated long enough to let the dog out as well.

Abby trotted past him, head lowered and ears back, still quite uncertain and fearful of the new creature that had invaded HER house... but the dog knew the Hordika dominated her. The dog raced across the privacy-fenced yard growling softly at the Hordika's scent being littered all over her yard. A fog had settled in overnight as well.

Vakama rocked back and stood at his full height, peering around in the fog and trying to see over it. It was too heigh though, unlike some areas of his home island so he thudded down, took care of some bodily needs before vanishing into the fog to hunt. When he didn't come back later, using the fog as cover, there were no squirrels in the area anymore, as well as half the rabbit population would be missing.

Abby had gone back inside the house, only to do some more sniffing, finding Vakama's scent in all sorts of places. But what the dog seemed to be most upset about was that on coming up to her human, who could have passed as being dead on the couch, she smelled large amounts of the scent on her. Abby ignored the 'ABBY GET OFF THE COUCH!' rule, and jumped up and settled with her head on the human's legs, as if re-claiming her property. The dog stayed there until the Hordika returned.

When the Hordika did come back there was a clinging scent of fresh blood, not strong enough for a human to pick up though. Vakama sat down in the spot he'd been before, spending time on cleaning his muzzle and claws. Eyeing Abby and Mic the mutated Toa blinked both sets of lids slowly, wondering exactly how she'd gotten up there. Hadn't he been heat-leaching last night...?

Abby watched the Hordika right back, warily. Dogs were capable of feeling jealousy, and in this case Abby wasn't very 'happy' so to put it. She made a low grumble-like noise-if dogs were capable of that-and sighed. In turn Mic felt the movement and made a muffled noise between 'ugh' and 'no,' half her face in the couch.

Vakama snorted, shook his head before settling back down again in the spot he had been in. He didn't curl up but sprawled on his side, being full after all. Within no time he was out like a light again, almost like he hadn't moved, except that the wrap on his leg was scuffed and loosened.

At least half an hour passed where the three stayed like this. Then without warning, Mic's phone that had been set on the small table next to the couch went off; someone was calling. Abby made no move, having been used to the loud ringtone, but it was slightly different for the two sleepers.

With a jerk and a snarl, Vakama was yanked out of the dearly needed sleep, the Rhotuka launcher coming to life and humming with power. Startled awake to say the least.

Mic snapped out of her own sleep with wide eyes, and if she were an anime person she would have sweat-dropped when she saw the startled Hordika. "No, no, it's alright, it's," she flung her arm forward and caught the device, hurriedly trying to answer it. "...my phone."

Fangs bared for a moment, Vakama's eyes were briefly green before melding back to the less aggressive red and orange (strange how red can be considered a non-threatening). The Rhotuka launcher was still active and there was a half formed spinner, crackling with semi-transparent red-ish gold energy.

It was mostly the spinner that had driven Abby into fleeing the area and taking cover in Mic's room on the bed again. The human quickly babbled apologizes to the Hordika, in effort to calm him and because this was what she had been trying to avoid in the first place. Why in the world hadn't she thought of turning the phone's volume off? Mic answered the phone while getting up and backing into the hall in hopes that whoever was calling wouldn't be able to hear Vakama. He really did look rather unsettled after all.

Her eyes lost all sleep-heaviness on hearing the voice on the other end. "Oh, hi dad! Wha, no, I um, overslept..."

The partly formed spinner seemed to splutter and what shape it had was dissolved. Vakama half stood where he was, shaking his head in that way of someone trying to wake up in the mind but the Hordika's own exhausted body betraying him. Vakama struggled not to yawn and open his inner set of lids.

Mic let out a silent sigh of relief when the spinner vanished but her concentration was turned back to her father on the phone. "Huh? Yeah I was up late... sorry, I forgot to... everything's fine, just great, wonderful... well I just woke up!... Abby's doing great..." Basically dealing with the usual 'how-are-you-doing?' parent-mode. Having to stay silent about the large Hordika in the living room made it seem like more of a hassle though.

Being nocturnal did have draw backs, Vakama thought as he swayed from where he sat. His forelegs seemed to be locked into place and unable to bend the right way to let him go back to sleep since there was no threat. An involuntary yawn did push out of him fully this time as he stared at Mic, with the inner lids closed he had a seemingly blank look.

The human really felt like sweat-dropping, especially if she were anime. But right now all she could do was stand, or lean actually, against the wall and listen to her mother, who was now on the other end, talk on and on until she was certain that her daughter was fine.

Though Mic had a feeling she was safe as it was as she glanced at the Hordika. She finally said goodbye to her mother and hung up, slumping. Not your usual way to wake up. She shuffled back into the living room guiltily. "Sorry... I should've shut the sound off last night."

Vakama huffed at her words, hearing her voice more than the words.

Seeing that the Hordika was somewhat alert, but not all the way, Mic tipped her head as she sat on the edge of the couch. "Did you sleep well, Vakama?"

The mutated Bionicle blinked, shifted and collapsed back down in limp pile, making a grumbling sound in the back of his throat and a soft chirp. That was better, now he could go back to sleep!

Mic laughed softly and shook her head. She thought to herself for awhile before looking around, in search for something before spying it across the floor, next to the entertainment center-the remote control. She crouched next to it and pressed a button but nothing happened. Mic muttered to herself about dead batteries and had to settled with using the controls on the TV panel instead, making sure that the volume was low.

After a while Vakama's head was set down in Mic's lap, the Hordika curling around her without really waking up, drawn by body heat and the instinct to be near someone else.

Any feeling or urge to get things done left her, and she smiled warmly leaning back into him. As a few news reports flashed on the screen Mic moved her hand and started to stroke Vakama along the eye ridge again, knowing he liked it.

Even in sleep, Vakama responded with a purr. Lighter than it had been before, and the Hordika tilted his head more to the side to let Mic get a better angle. His tail tip, in sight this time, gave a little wiggle as well.

Mic giggled and gladly kept up the stroking, enjoying the sound of his purr since dogs didn't purr at all. She wondered just how long the Hordika could, and would sleep, seeing as now it would be hard to leave him again, and she wanted him to rest knowing Vakama had been through enough in his own world. A rather disturbing report came on about a kidnapping, and Mic stopped stroking for a moment to try and reach forward and change the channel without disturbing the Hordika.

The Hordika eventually went limp, his purr continuing though a notch softer. Oblivious to the world in general Vakama was content in his sleep for once. Mic could have played with his spinner patch and he wouldn't have cared in the slightest.

After a few minutes Mic finally sighed and checked the time again. It was a little after ten, but there wasn't anything that TRULY had to get done that day... other than change into some clean clothes perhaps. "I'm surprised you aren't hungry yet," she said to herself, looking at the Hordika, who remained limp. It was then that she took a good long look at his claws and noticed some dried stains before cringing sharply. "Ew..."


	6. Chapter 6

Hordika Under the Bed

The Hordika walked into the kitchen, shaking his left leg to rid it of that universal pins-and-needles feeling. "Mic?" he asked, blinking and sniffed.

The human turned and saw him. "What, up already?"

It was going on one by now, as she popped a pizza roll into her mouth. The human had somehow succeeded in pulling away from Vakama a few hours ago and had taken care of the pets, done a few chores, as well as changed her clothing. She now wore a pair of shorts instead of jeans, and a loose white shirt.

"You're days are weird." Vakama said as he shook his leg out again. He came closer, stepping over the napping dog and then sat beside Mic. He blinked both sets of lids, "Now what?"

Mic's index finger tapped against her thigh as she thought. "Well, I now know for a fact that my family won't be coming home when I thought they would be..." here she had a sad glint in her eyes, "... so that means you're safe to stay longer. Hey, um... can I ask you about some things in your world?" she said, curiosity in her face.

Vakama nodded, but eyed the sink. If he remembered right he could probably work it... "Go ahead."

"How long is your average life-span?" Mic asked, seeing his gaze on the sink. "Do you want a drink?"

"Yes and," Vakama paused to think about it, tail twitching and he hummed softly, "...For a Bionicle in general or a Toa?"

"Mm, both," she said, walking over and turning the water on.

"A Matoran can live for several thousands of years, our years," Vakama corrected waiting for the water, "A Toa...anywhere from less than a day to a few thousand years."

Mic's eyebrows rose as the water reached a good height, and she let out a breath, nervously, "Oh geez, thousands? Heh... human life-spans barely reach one hundred years at the most."

"Young," Vakama muttered as he half stood again and started to drink like he did the night before. The way he slurped it up, was like he had gone too long without it and getting every shot he could to drink.

Mic was silent for awhile, debating on whether the next question should be asked or not... but if she did, who knew how the Hordika would react. She finally blurted it out. "There are rumors that you're in love with Nokama, are they true?"

Curiosity killed the fangirl.

The Hordika choked eyes wide he gargled and attempted to cough out what water he nearly inhaled. Body shuttering, Vakama just managed to get his muzzle over the other, empty half of the sink and got rid of the water in his mouth and throat before backing up and gasping, "_What?_"

Mic cringed nervously and edged back slightly. "Um, just a rumor that's been around... you don't have to answer that. Sorry."

Vakama coughed again and thumbed his chest before looking up at Mic like she'd grown a second head.

"I shouldn't have asked that," the human said, bending over to pet the now-awake and alert dog on the floor. Still, on the inside she was wondering if Vakama's reaction meant something...

Vakama shook his head, but not in a negative way, more like AT the human. It didn't help matters that whenever he thought of either Nokama or any Ga-Matoran he'd met (or just the word 'female' depending on how far gone he was) his Hordika side metaphorically sat up and cried 'HATCHLINGS!' in glee with accompanying mental images of eggs as well as little Hordika-Matoran cubs.

Abby stood from the floor and wagged her tail at Mic, but eyed Vakama warily, lip twitching slightly. A long moment of, shall we say awkward silence passed before Mic thought of a way to change the subject. "Hey, did you get up earlier? How did Abby get out of my room?" Plus she was suspicious about the Hordika's stained claws.

"I heard something," Vakama nodded, reaching up to shut the water off. He paused to eye Mic warily before finishing his drink, he didn't want to choke again.

"The screen door was unlocked," Mic said, more to herself as the Hordika drank. She then pieced things together and realized fully WHY Vakama hadn't exactly asked for anything to eat. The human made a sickened sound.

_'So THAT'S why I haven't seen a single squirrel all day._' She then realized that there were tiny smudges of dirt on the floor leading into the living room, on Vakama, and the same stuff had been all over her clothes earlier.

"When's the last time you actually took a bath?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"...does being drown count?" Vakama asked from where he was sitting and doing a cat like thing of grooming his muzzle and sides of his head with his wrist.

Mic frowned. "Not really. You really need a real _popper_ bath... you smell kinda weird. AND, it'd be a help to your wound," she said, looking at the loosened wrap on his leg.

The Hordika shifted uncomfortably, looking leery at the word bath. Honestly it was half an elemental thing and half that he's seen Nuju and Nokama pin Onewa down and made the bigger Hordika take a bath despite him being three times as big as either of them.

"Oh, but you wouldn't fit in the tub," Mic realized to herself, fingering a curl in thought. Abby happily ran out the cracked screen door and onto the concrete, covered patio outside. Mic suddenly grinned. "I think Abby just found the perfect spot." The human sounded very sure of this whole 'bath' thing.

Vakama leaned away from the human without truly getting up and moving. "Tub?" he echoed softly, not sure it was the same thing he was thinking of.

"Yeah, it'd be waaaay too small," she replied. She noticed the reluctance in his moving away, and sighed. "Vakama, you're staying in my house. The least you can do is get clean and smell better," She turned and walked outside and onto the patio, happy when she found that there was a hose hanging on the wall. Perfect.

It took half a minute before the Hordika came out, sighing deeply and slouching a little as he did so.

Mic had opened a creaky old door in the wall where the concrete floor stretched from and was inside the cluttered garage in search for some soap. In fact, maybe she should grab two bottles. The Hordika was rather large after all. The human found what she was looking for and pulled out the bottle... to see a wolf spider sitting happily on the cap.

It was a mad scramble backwards, before she remembered to LET GO of the bottle. But the spider fell from it and onto her bare shin. That was enough to cause the female urge to completely freak out to occur. Which she did. "GAH, FREAKY LITTLE SPIDER, GEDDOFFME!"

In her scramble to go backwards Mic would find herself tripping over and into the red Hordika's arms. Vakama had trailed after to see what she was doing, and at the yell he reflexively growled started forward only to have the human run into him. One spazz and confused Hordika later found Vakama somehow on his back with his arms wrapped around Mic and a small (to him) spider on the end of his nose.

The mutated Toa snorted it off to the side.

Mic let out a shaky breath-spiders did NOT work for her. At all. Mainly any sort of bug, actually. It was a common reaction from a teenage girl after all. Plus wolf spiders were freaky, with all those hairy little limbs and beady little eyes...

The human started up, blushing furiously at the fact her immediate freak out had caused both her and the Hordika to end up on the hard ground. "I'm sorry," she stuttered, watching the spider vanish behind a shelf and cringing. "I have a fear of bugs..."

Vakama snorted again, rubbing the end of his muzzle to get the ticklish feeling off, "Don't go to Metru Nui right now than."

The thought of all those giant spiders running around only increased the sickly feeling in her stomach and she fully stood to her feet, finding the bottle once more. "Okay... shall we continue?"

The Hordika made that grumbling sound in his throat again, but at the same time wasn't REALLY protesting. The still sane Toa part of the mutated Bionicle's mind was sighing, wanting to get the grit out of joints and the smell of blood off his claws.

Mic led the Hordika back onto the patio and set the bottle down. Abby was currently relaxing in the grass across from them, and she watched the Hordika and her human with a careful eye, but wary because she knew what her human had in mind. The dog didn't like baths, so she stayed away. Mic worked at the hose, trying to get the water to come out at a good amount. "This'll just be a minute." Of course, the water was ice cold.

Vakama eyed the hose, made a soft growl...and then his spinner patch started to humm to life again.

Mic looked up and frowned. "Vakama... it's just a hose. I'd rather you didn't blow up the roof just because of that."

"I know that," Vakama didn't snap, but his tone was like that of an adult telling a younger child not to be silly, "Just...hold still."

Now she was confused. "Why?"

Vakama position changed, head and shoulders dipping down, back end lifting, and he fired the partly formed spinner before the human could guess or react. The spinner itself broke apart as it hit the hose, the loose tendrils of elemental energy wrapping around it and clinging to it.

"That." Vakama said smugly as he sat back down.

Mic blinked from her little statement and looked at the hose then at the Hordika with an expression that seemed to be saying 'huh?'

"I don't like cold water." Vakama explained, "Nuju showed me how to do that...granted it was on a _pipe._"

"Oh, neat!" the human replied, once feeling the water for herself. The then promptly began to hose him down as she came closer, spraying water all over him.

The Hordika huffed and ducked his head, firmly closing his inner lids but at the same time wasn't moving away from the water. After a minute he rose to all fours and reflexively gave a half shake.

Mic made a small cry and ducked away, trying to avoid most of the water. Her side got splattered however by the flying droplets. Though it wasn't much(for now) she immediately aimed the water on him again to replace what he had shaken off, a grin on her face.

Vakama didn't sit back down but lifted his head and turned so the water got under his neck. He paused and then a faint smiled formed that right there wasn't bad at all. He was more than grateful that a certain tall dark female hadn't found this spot.

Mic fully drenched him until she was satisfied before grabbing the soap bottle. When this was done, the Hordika was going to smell like coconuts. Using a cloth to spread the soap faster, she started at the base of his back having practice at doing so with Abby. Of course it was somewhat different with Vakama's body.

There was actually more organic matter on the Hordika then in the movies, and more then in his Toa form too for the matter. It blended against the visible armor seamlessly, and if Mic felt in some of the other spots she could feel the metal under the thick hide.

After awhile Mic asked him, "Did I miss anything?" The Hordika was covered in a thick lather of white bubbles.

The mutated Toa chirped and shifted, afraid to talk for fear of eating the stuff (it didn't taste good as good as it smelled). So he stretched out his neck and lifted his head instead.

Mic smirked and attacked his neck with the cloth and bubbles. She was making sure to get at all the dirt she found on him so that there would be a clean Hordika in the end. "Looks like we're ready for a rinse," she said after awhile.

Vakama didn't hear her at the moment, he was busy purring and starting to lean against Mic. The threat of her getting soaped too now extremely high!

"Yo," she muttered, leaning away. Another spot had been found! The human stored this information away for later and tossed the soapy cloth to the side before grabbing up the hose. The unsuspecting Hordika was soon blasted with water once more, while Abby still lay happily across the yard.

If the water had been cold, Vakama would have protested much more than his startled trill. Making a face but keeping his lids closed Vakama was snapped out of that light trance he'd been in. "...thank you." he said after turning his head into the water and blinked his lids open.

"At least you smell better," Mic mumbled, rinsing his torso and moving to his hind legs. She suddenly tried to pull it forward, but the blasted thing had snagged around a flowerpot. Carefully setting it down she went over to un-snag it, leaving a dripping Hordika on the patio.

A soft whine, more humm of power came from behind Mic as she moved away.

"Stupid hose," the girl muttered, pulling it out. She did catch the noise behind her though, and raised an eyebrow. What was he up to now? She turned to find out.

She was knocked back on her rump, but not by the Hordika, or the puppy either. It wasn't exactly _hot_ but warmth spread out over Mic from the chest to shoulders, arms, mid-drift and around to her back and up the neck with a tingling sense of power before fading.

Vakama smirked from where he was shaking off his feet and flicking his tail. There was a distinct, playful gleam in his glowing eyes.

Once most of the shock had faded, Mic gaped at Vakama. He just-! Somehow, she had never expected to see such a playful act by him, not with what happened last night and what she had seen in the movies... the surprised melted from her face and an evil glint set into her dark eyes. She grabbed the hose and aimed at the Hordika.

_'This is war.' _

The moment the hose was aimed at him, Vakama was up and crouched on all fours, back humped up and giving a mock-growl, his tail arched up at well. On his back the spinner patch was humming once more.

Mic's body tensed, ready to dodge and she fired the water at full blast with a grin. Playing with a Hordika... who knew?


	7. Chapter 7

Hordika Under the Bed

"I told you that wouldn't work." Vakama said, breathing heavily but not panting. After a moment he looked down at the human he was basically sprawled over and on, using his own person to pin Mic down, though he somehow didn't hurt or constrict her breathing.

"Yeah, well," she heaved, her own clothes far wetter now than when she had first started out. "I tried."

The Hordika rumbled, his tail flicking but not really moving. He smirked and let out a rattling growl/rumble sound that was more vibration. He was being a weird Hordika again.

Mic grunted and tried to get up... without success. "C'mon, lemme up!" she whined, trying to sound upset.

Vakama shifted so his fore-paws/hands were crossed, around Mic's head and shoulders. He moved enough that the human could twist around onto her back, but not able to get away and would be staring strait up into Vakama's eyes.

The human blinked up at him, some water trailing down the side of her face from the play fight. Basically she was waiting for him to do... something. Trust really was an extraordinary thing. This was the same mutated Toa from last night, who threatened her in something of the same position. Only now it was different. Much different.

The mutated Tao blinked his inner set of lids before giving Mic a light lick and rolling off on to his back to sprawl out on the grass, purring since now there was full on sunlight above. Mic really wished she had a camera right about now, especially since the bath had cleared away stains and dirt to reveal a gleaming dark red hide with stripes. She moved and sat beside him, arms resting on her bent knees as she too soaked up the sun.

Abby was nowhere to be seen, having fled during the flying water and spinner battle.

Vakama yawned, his eyes closing as he was happy to dose right here in the sun, something he truly hadn't seen in far too long. With a glassy eyed stare the Hordika blinked at Mic in a 'now what?' way.

The human had noticed that his bandage had come off during the bath, along with the cotton. "I should wrap that again," she remarked. Mic got to her feet and went inside before coming out with the same supplies from last night, Abby trotting alongside her owner, ears perked at the Hordika sprawled out in the sun.

Vakama hadn't moved, still belly up and still basking like this was the first time he'd seen daylight in a long, long time. And... maybe it _was_ the first time, if one considered what Metru Nui had looked like in the movie.

Mic sat next to his injury and began to do the same work she had done on it the night before. Abby walked around the Hordika a few times before actually stepping forward and sniffing his paw-like hand.

"Exactly how long have you been a Toa?" Mic asked as she worked. Hey, she was with a character from one of the most popular storylines after all. She wrapped the white wrap around his thigh and glanced at the content Hordika. She should REALLY get the camera right now.

The Hordika blinked a few times as he tilted his head to look at Mic with one eye, "I... I really don't know. We've lost track of time and days."

She finished wrapping and tied it off in a neat knot. "So it must be longer than the books said. Is this too tight?" she lightly tapped the bandage.

Vakama flexed his leg and then nodded, "It's fine." he said, though still remained on his back. Shifting he curled partly to one side, the non injured side in a half flop.

Mic tipped her head, watching him with interest before a smile broke over her face. She got up before the Hordika could ask and ran back inside, only to come back out with a small silver-colored device in her hands. She was a few feet away from him before snapping a picture of Vakama, the sun's light on him at the right angle so the picture on the little screen was perfect.

The semi-sane, pretty much crazy fangirl side of Mic had started to surface when she thought of the camera. At the moment she was screaming on the inside, 'I IS TAKING PICTURES OF VAKAMAAAAAA!' as if suddenly realizing her luck; any Bionicle fan would kill for this. But instead she just casually said (as much as one could be casual with a part of their mind screaming away in joy), "I just took a picture of you," and clicked another.

Vakama tilted his head and twisted, rolling over the other way, putting himself unexpectedly nose-to nose with Abby.

The girl rushed and snapped picture after picture, over and over again as her beloved lab and the Hordika blinked at each other, before Abby cautiously stretched her muzzle out and sniffed the larger one curiously. Mic's inner fangirl was having a heart attack at the 'cuteness' she was taking pictures of.

Vakama sniffed back before relaxing again, tail end twitching. He really wondered if there was something in the grass, or maybe it was just because he had a good nine hours of sleep and that this was the first time in over two months he realized that...Vakama was safe.

Mic grinned like a loony as she looked through the several shots she had gotten in the past few minutes. However as she did this a thought suddenly came to her... dinner. What was she going to feed him? She doubted she'd have enough hotdogs for him to truly have a decent meal... unless she could think of something else...

The Hordika twisted, arching his back so he was in a semi-cercal as he stretched. Claws extending and yawning, flexing his larger killing fangs before rolling over again and, in one swift move had Mic down on the grass thanks to that tail with a smug chirp.

She grunted on hitting the ground, but it was more in surprise; she had been staring at the camera screen after all. She looked at Vakama with a '_You think you're so smart, huh?_' look, while Abby happily bounced over to her human, a stick in her mouth and tail wagging.

The Bionicle tilted his head, and then let out a strangely musical trill, unlike anything he had said or made before.

Mic looked up from trying to pull the stick from Abby's jaws, head slightly cocked at the sound. Abby paused momentarily before pulling her end of the stick again, but the human wasn't concentrated on it anymore. "What did you just do?"

Vakama ducked his head as he hummed in embarrassment. "I sang..."

"Really?" Mic blinked before looking away. "It... it's beautiful," she murmured timidly.

"...Matau and Nokama are better." Vakama said as he flicked his tail over his head.

"You're good too, y'know," she said, twirling a grass blade in her fingers. Abby had run off on hearing something near the bushes, which turned out to be a mocking bird.

The mutated Toa looked up, started by the complement. It didn't help (or maybe it did) that as he lifted his head, the end of Vakama's tail was over his head. He shook his head to get rid of that.

Mic laughed softly when he did that, and picked up her camera, suddenly wondering if she could somehow get him in a picture with herself as she whipped some dirt and grass off the lens.

At the moment it wouldn't be hard really, Vakama really didn't want to leave his spot as the Hordika sprawled out again in the grass. Mic could flop on Vakama with near no reaction on his part...maybe she might get turned into a living teddy bear again.

And she did. Once her head and neck were supported against him she raised the camera in the air, lens looking down on them and took the shot with a semi-giddy smile on her face. '_Score again for the inner fangirl..._'

The next picture had an unexpected...pose? Just as Mic was clicking the next picture Vakama lifted his head and gave a licky-kiss along the side of her face. He had a slight glint in his eyes that was more than just playful. Of course Mic's face had been rather stupid-looking in the picture, what with the surprise written all over it and her eyes huge, and Vakama over there looking all happy-go-lucky at his little sneak attack. In result, the human gave him a playful smack (not in the face of course), but ended up dropping the camera.

Vakama snorted but his quick tongue was back out again. It was so strange that it was Toa Vakama doing this, but at the same time the Hordika was acting like it was perfectly normal thing to do.

Mic rolled her eyes with a light groan, but did nothing more in protest at the lick-kiss. She figured in the Hordika mind it must be normal and all, but of course it was different for the human. She leaned back and started to stare upward at the sky, feeling content.

Vakama didn't move for a while, and then his tail tip moved, poking Mic in the side before flicking away.

She flinched, eyes widening slightly. Oh no... not her sensitive spot. Anything but that. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, warily before relaxing once more.

The Hordika didn't move, but his nose twitched. Only he wasn't about to fall asleep, his tail poked her again after a minute and he opened the outer lid half way.

This time she let out a nervous hum and scooted a few inches away, as if hoping that would keep it from happening again. Only her father knew how ticklish that area was, and she had hoped to keep it that way.

Moving seemed to be a bad idea as the Hordika's keen senses and interest was perked. In moving she came in range and the result was a lick to the side of the head with a playful sound.

Mic had that reluctant defeated look in her eyes as she said dully, "There's no escaping you, is there?"

Vakama grinned, unashamed as his tail came around and draped over Mic's legs, "No."


	8. Chapter 8

Hordika Under the Bed

A few more hours had passed, and evening had begun to set in, casting a nice layer of darkness over the neighborhood. Mic had pulled her hair up and she finished loading all the pictures onto the laptop whilst sitting on the floor with the Hordika. She thought for a moment before turning to look at him. "You ever fished before?"

Vakama looked up from where he was studding a chart of Matoran and human letters, "Fishing?" He echoed. The mutated Hordika was so notably calmer in the day light.

Mic nodded, closing the laptop, "Yeah. I was thinking about getting you food... frankly I don't think I have enough of my own. But there's a canal not too far from here, I walk there all the time, and I was thinking you could try and catch fish or something."

The Hordika sat back, "...I'm more used to hunting but Nokama and Nuju didn't have much trouble."

"You wanna give it a shot?" she asked.

"It couldn't hurt." Vakama said as he stood up shacking out the prickly feelings in his left legs.

Mic stood as well and set the computer on the couch, which she had barely sat on all day, having gotten used to sitting with Vakama. "Night's just beginning, but maybe your ability to change your color will be enough to get you there without being spotted in case anyone's out there," she said.

The Hordika moved over to peer out of a window, "Easily." he judged.

Mic went to her room to quickly put on some sneakers and to grab a jacket since the temperature had dropped a bit, and there was a sea breeze as well. Once she was ready she came back out and led the Hordika to the front door. "It'll be about fifteen minutes with you following me," she commented.

"Minutes? Oh, clicks." He nodded as he fallowed after Mic, expecting her to go out the back door since he hadn't seen the human go near the front door, "I can blend much longer than that."

"That's good," she said, stuffing her phone in a pocket, in case something should go wrong... then again, what could go wrong when you have a Hordika with you? Mic stuck her head outside the front door and made sure the coast was clear until Vakama had started to blend in. "All clear."

It was like watching a chameleon in a way as Vakama gave himself a shake, his base colors and those of his stripes altered until his outline was broken up. The Hordika sniffed the air, rumbling softly as he moved without hesitation to the bushes and evidently vanished. Not perfectly like he would have as Toa but enough that unless you knew what you were looking for, one wouldn't see him at first or second glance.

Mic shut the door behind her, the house securely locked with Abby inside. Knowing that if any cars passed by, she put on a casual look and started down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets, seeming to be a usual teenager taking an evening walk. No one would have known in the slightest that she was actually showing a Hordika the way to his future meal.

Hopefully, nothing triggered that purely predatory Hordika side of the mutated Toa. It was creepy enough as it was with Vakama prowling around behind or to the sides of Mic, always just _there_ but not there. Maybe that was just in reaction from the memory of their first 'meeting.'

Mic considered herself lucky when she passed a guy with his dog, across from her sidewalk. But the dog seemed to sense something going on, while the owner thought his dog was just being stupid and paid no attention at all. Mic rolled her eyes. At least the bridge was finally coming in sight.

Up ahead one of the few remaining squirrels that hadn't had the sense to, you know, run like hell away earlier to the other side of town, darting across the street. In a swift, and un-nerving silent motions Vakama darted out after and snapped up the squirrel as it ran right in front of him. Thankfully he left the sidewalk with his 'snack.'

Mic had heard the squirrel give a 'scream' before it was silenced and she sighed to herself, having a good idea what had happened. She stood at the street corner for a few seconds before crossing to the bridge, but instead of staying on the sidewalk she walked into the grass and down the small hill-like dip leading the edge of the canal's water, thankful for the clump of trees off to the side to hide the fact that she was there, and it would keep anyone passing above from noticing anything fishy, no pun intended, going on below.

Vakama came around Mic from behind, coming pretty much out of nowhere as he licked his muzzle and looked around, his colors now a molded mix of browns and green. "This is it?"

The human had jumped when he seemly appeared out of thin air but quickly answered, "Yeah." She saw a fish jump a little ways away. "My brother fishes from this canal a lot. We've even spotted dolphins sometimes..." she trailed off and shrugged.

"Doll...what?" The Hordika looked back at Mic before turning his attention to the water and the fish. He hunkered down as if trying to sneak up on the fish, peering into the canal. Internally he was riffling through his memories of watching Nokama and Nuju back at the Kini Nui when the two had started fishing with the help of Gaaki.

"A very large sea creature compared to the fish you'd usually find," she explained, watching with interest. "I don't think we'll see any though... they're mostly near the other canal, closer to the power plant since the water's warmer there." She sat with her back to the concrete wall of the bridge.

The Hordika hunched low, and then sat up, shifting his feet and forepaws until they were under him completely. His tail was half curled, and he arched his neck a little, but all his attention was on the fish he could see as well as sense their heat. What there was of the heat...

There!

Vakama jumped fangs bared, he splashed down... and came up empty...

Grumbling the Hordika climbed back out and shook himself, "Nuju makes it look far too easy."

The human seemed to think to herself for a moment, before digging into her rear pocket and pulling out a scrunched up wrapper from a granola bar. She got up and threw the crumbs out into the water as a car passed above them. "That might attract more fish, if it helps."

After shaking each leg of clinging droplets, despite that he was going to jump right back in, Vakama came over to watch for a moment. Then moved back into that pounce/dive pose.

The crumbs seemed to be working. After a few moments Mic could just see the outlines of catfish swimming around, greedily going for the hand out, unaware that they were destined to become food themselves. Mic watched Vakama, silently hoping that he'd score this time, for his sake.

He shifted, waiting...waiting...Vakama fired a spinner into the water. He smugly looked over at Mic as no less than five stunned fish floated up. Yes he cheeted, but he was hungry and he stepped into the water, tossing all the fish he stunned back above the water.

"That's... one way to do it," the human muttered, stepping back as the fish plopped onto the ground, wrinkling her nose. She wondered how many fish Vakama could eat, and with a sick feeling realized that she would be present to _see_ him do so. The thought of seeing fish being ripped apart... didn't exactly agree with her.

It's wasn't all that bad honestly, since he wasn't starved like before, Vakama neatly bit each fish into three parts and downed each third with quick gulps. He did still eat like he was expecting someone to take his food; i.e. lightning fast.

Mic stood patiently to the side, lifting her head every once in awhile when cars passed on the bridge. It had grown exceptionally darker then when they had left the house. She sighed and fingered a loose strand of hair, reminding herself that she could really use a hot shower.

Vakama got one last fish that was floating by before stretching and shacking himself, "That wasn't bad." he admitted licking his muzzle and moving back over to Mic, once more blending in the dark without changing colors.

"Want to head back, then?" Mic asked, very much ready to get home.

The Hordika nodded, though there was that other more primal side that wanted to _go_. To find some instinctual calling, Vakama only had vague mental images of plains, rocky volcanic regions and towering forests. He'd been having those half formed visions ever since being changed, and knew they weren't like his other visions. Vakama shook his head to clear it, "Yes."

Once again, Mic found herself walking down the sidewalk alone, or at least _appearing_ to be alone. She knew Vakama was somewhere nearby, following. If not for that, she would have been very uneasy about doing this. The human was passing by a home being constructed when she thought she heard something... a more human-sounding noise off to her right.

In the darkness Vakama moved in that silent prowl, coming so close to some people in their yards that he could have flicked his tail and brushed them. The Hordika didn't as he continued to shadow Mic, at one point he was walking beside her, but paused as he sniffed, "There's someone...dirty nearby." he said softly.

Mic flinched on hearing his voice and not knowing he had been there, but, wait, what did he just say...? "Dirty?" she muttered lowly. Rounding a corner at that moment, Mic's arm was grabbed and a hand covered her mouth as the owner hauled her toward a ready-to-go pickup truck, ignoring the strangled screams coming from her.

...oh lord, this was NOT happening!

Something _hot_ sliced through the air by the two humans, impacting on the truck's front tire and melting both rubber and metal without actually sitting the truck on fire. A snarl came from the darkness before another spinner fired at the street light sending this section of the street into total darkness.

A low growling came from Vakama as he opened his inner lids so the Hordika's bioluminescent eyes glowed a bright, vivid green, fixed on the two humans. He could see just fine thank you... "Nera' sok alata..."

"The hell is this?" the man gripping a twisting Mic sputtered, eyes wide. He quickly pulled out a small hand gun, aiming at the green eyes in the dark, sweat beginning to pour down his brow. On realizing it was a gun, Mic's muffled screaming seemed to take on a more frantic pitch. 'VAKAMA!'

"Nearo," Vakama hissed, and then the eyes vanished as he closed his inner lids. "Not a wise idea humino..." The Hordika said, from the right now, cutting off the way to the nearest light source but remained in the dark. A humming whine of power could be heard, coming from Vakama's spinner.

The hum must have done it, for the man freaked and began shooting... but Mic had managed to strike him hard in a certain area, postponing the firing. All this time the human female kept up her panicking struggles, in hopes of escape and that her attacker wouldn't hurt Vakama.

A loud snarl was heard before Mic was almost ripped out of the man's grasp, and the gun from his hand. Standing at his full height, Vakama had the man by the neck and off his feet, dangling in the air. The Hordika opened his inner lids again so the green on green gaze was clearly visible.

"Nearo," Vakama growl, his tone taking on that slightly purring, near mocking hint. He smirked at the chocking man before putting their faces nearly nose to nose, saying again in a slower, drawn out purr, "Nearo... Run." Vakama dropped the human staring down at him from his near nine foot height.

Vakama needn't have bothered in saying this; though she had stumbled after getting out of the man's grasp, Mic was up again and had bolted in a beeline for home, heart pounding harder than ever. The distance was only maybe three minutes, but it felt like it was taking an eternity to get there.

Granted Vakama had been talking to the human male but it worked out all the same. The result was that Vakama was standing in the darkness alone, he looked between the two humans fleeing in different directions a few times.

The Hordika shrugged, and with an amused smirk he turned, dropping to all fours again and prowled after Mic, going more by memory then truly fallowing.

On reaching the house-FINALLY!- Mic stopped her run and frantically unlocked the door, nearly hurling her own self inside before her knees gave way and she dropped to the hard floor. Abby had been waiting there all the time, and the human clung to her dog with one arm, trying to breathe properly while her eyes pooled over slightly, the door still open behind her.

It was a long time before there was a hint of Vakama, the Hordika evidently decided to take a longer 'walk.' Namely scaring that one man half to death and making him going running to law enforcement (being arrested for priors and of course no one believed his ramblings about a monster or 'green eyed devil' that wanted to eat him). So it was a few long hours before a familiar, low rumbling, near growling sound was heard outside Mic's house.

The human had pretty much barricaded her house's entrances from the adrenaline and fear that had been pumping through her. She hadn't exactly done anything else but wait for the Hordika's return, paranoid about doing anything really. Vakama would find a very disturbed-looking human once entering.

Mic heard the Hordika, as did Abby who went sniffing anxiously at the door before her owner opened it, meeting darkness outside but knowing the Hordika was out there. "...Vakama?"

"Know any other Hordika?" Vakama's voice came out of the blackness before he did, walking in a not quite prowl but there was something protective, or possessive to the way he moved. His eyes were also still green.

Mic said nothing, only stepped back and allowed him in, a sudden look of hurt in her eyes. He had been gone for a little over two hours after all, leaving her to worry about stalking people outside her house. "Where the heck were you!"

"Patrolling," He said, sniffing first Abby and then around in general. Making his way into the living room, tail tip twitching but he wasn't aggravated really. He turned and in one swift move half tripped Mic up and pulled her down so she would find herself securely in Vakama's claws as he curled around her.

Without hesitation she latched onto him, almost as if her life depended on it, and ducked her head as a few tears slipped. This wasn't her first time she had cried on returning home-Abby had been the thing to cling to for a good half hour before she actually got a hold of herself. The Hordika's returned somehow triggered it again, though Mic tried to hold most of her 'waterworks' back.

He had saved her life, and here she was acting all weak.

A deep, vibrating purr unexpectedly came from Vakama as the Hordika curled his tail as tightly as he could around Mic (which wasn't all THAT much since it was more for balance not prehensile like with Matau, Nuju or Whenua). He had his forearms around her, still very much in that Hordika mode Vakama's tongue darted out and licked Mic on the cheek.

Mic did a small hiccup, covering her face with a hand. "I'm sorry, it's just... that man tried to... and you... thank you," she finished, not really making a true sentence, but at least she had thanked him.

"Like I would let anyone take what's mine." Vakama huffed, he was referring the 'mine' in the pack sense. for that's what his Hordika side had labeled Mic as, a 'younger' pack member, and instincts demanded him to protect the more defenseless members of his 'pack.' Right now that included reassurance as he essentially groomed Mic.

The human said nothing as he did this, finding his Hordika side to be rather comforting in a sense. For example, she knew that she could relax better now that he was back. She was safe again. "... he could have shot you, Vakama." Mic said suddenly remembering the gun.

"He didn't, and I bit him." Vakama shrugged as best as he could given their position. The Hordika rubbed the side of his head against Mic in a reassuring way, "It's over now."

Mic smiled slightly when he claimed to have bitten the man; that sounded very much like the Hordika. She sighed deeply, her silent crying finally stopping. After some minutes she squirmed slightly, asking him to let her go. "I really wanna take a shower... I feel better knowing you're here."

Almost reluctantly Vakama uncurled himself from around the girl with a rumble. After Mic's shower she would find the Hordika sprawled out in the hall in front of the bathroom, head resting on forepaws and his eyes glowing a steady orange and red.

Feeling refreshed and less-stressed thanks to the hot shower, Mic stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas, not at all surprised to realize that the Hordika was waiting on the other side. Something told her it wasn't because of the heat coming from the other side of the door either.

She had to admit though, she was glad that his eyes had returned to red and orange.

Tail swaying gently, Vakama looked back without lifting his head as Mic had to climb over him to get out, "Feel better?" he asked.

"Yeah," Physically yes. Images of the guy kept resurfacing in her head, but she pushed them aside as best as she could as she stepped into her room to retrieve a new blanket before going back to the living room.

Vakama sniffed at her side as he rose, giving a huff in a way that said he didn't fully believe that, "You should sit down."

Mic said nothing as she walked into the living room, where Abby had made herself at home on the couch, picking up the tossed aside phone and giving it a long hard stare. More than ever she should, no _wanted_ to call her parents and tell them what happened... but that would blow Vakama's cover, so she was stuck.

"You know you're safe." The Hordika said as he silently fallowed Mic.

"I know." Oh yeah did she know... "But if you hadn't been there, I could be-" No, she wasn't going to finish that. With a sigh Mic took his advice and dropped to the floor unenthusiastically, legs bent sideways.

"If I hadn't been here you wouldn't have gone out in the dark." Vakama corrected, "You, Mic, are not nocturnal like I am. You're not made for it." The altered Toa rubbed the side of his head up against the girl's own side before settling down around behind Mic with his head on her lap.

The human sighed and leaned into him. "I wonder whatever happened to the guy."

"He saw the fault in his spirit." Vakama said smugly before giving Mic a lick on her cheek.

"I sure hope so," she muttered, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. "Holy crap, I bet he's that same guy they've been trying to catch for awhile now,"

"'they?'" Vakama echoed, tilting his head before huffing and reaching out and pulling Mic's laptop over.

"Police. Law-enforcers," she explained, watching him pull the device over. "What do you want with it?"

"You said there were other vids of your stories of the Bionicle." Vakama said, "I haven't forgotten."

"Oh, yeah... right." She sat up and took control of the computer, bringing it on again and heading for youtube with Mask of Light in mind. The mutated Toa was going to get to see the future Toa Nuva, and the island of Mata Nui after the Matoran had settled on it.

Then again he had already been on the island of Mata Nui. Vakama settled down with his head partly on Mic's lap but more like that first time the other night where he was partly under her forearm. Only he was on the other side now.

Mic yawned as the movie started, glancing at the clock. Normally she'd be asleep by now, but the Hordika was, as he said, nocturnal so he would be up longer. She just hoped she'd make it through the movie.


	9. Chapter 9

Hordika Under the Bed

Vakama lay sprawled out in a loose circle, nose to tail. His eyes were half lidded as he watched the human that was essentially heat leaching against him. Not that the altered Bionicle minded, sometime in night he had found that blanket from before and dropped it over Mic, now it was partly over him too.

Again, Vakama didn't mind at all the closeness. Despite the sometimes madness from the Visorak venom, the true Hordika instinct, the roots of Bionicle and Toa instincts...it was _right_. Hordika, and thus Bionicle for the most part, were pack orientated creatures with strong family and friendship bonds. Vakama had been away from his brother Toa for what seemed far too long, so he welcomed the snuggles.

Sometime during the movie Mic had fallen asleep, needing it greatly after what had taken place. Sleep had come easily knowing there was a Hordika in the same room, curled around you. The sleeping human shifted slightly, enjoying the warmth coming from Vakama and nuzzled her head against him, sighing in her sleep.

It seemed that Mic was the one knocked out this time.

The Hordika shifted just enough so his forepaws were crossed under his chin as he waited for the human to wake up. Dosing lightly a vague thought came with Vakama wondering if Abby should be let out more than once, but that thought drifted away. It was nice being able to sleep himself out here, yet at the same time... Now that Vakama could think straight, thoughts clear of hunger, exhaustion and fear, he couldn't help but worry about the other Toa Metru.

More minutes passed before the sound of Abby's nails, clicking as she walked by on a course for the human's room, penetrated the girl's mind and she inhaled deeply, cracking open her eyelids. Of course she saw red, as usual. That's right, she had fallen asleep with a Hordika of Fire...

Vakama was breathing steadily, though his glowing eyes were just visible under his inner lid and he tiled his head as if focusing on Mic's face. He rumbled a purr.

"Izitmorning?" she mumbled, mind still father foggy.

Vakama opened his inner lids and blinked, "What?"

The human slowly blinked, having trouble realizing what she had just said as well. Mic dismissed it and just lay there, contently, continuing to heat-leach. It took awhile for her to remember that they had been watching Mask of Light. "Did you watch all the movie?" she asked, sounding a bit more clearer than before.

"Both of them," Vakama said thoughtfully before shifting and rubbing the side of his head against Mic.

Mis smiled at the contact and shifted so that she was more on her back, but still against him. The human reached up and stroked the spot on his head she knew he liked. "What did you think about them?"

"I don't know how much will be true..." Vakama said slowly, managing to purr at the same time as he spoke. "But I had always _known_ there was something different about Takua."

"Is his character in the movie like he is for real?" Mic asked more than wondered, her hand dropping after a time because of the straining muscle. She also realized that her legs were tangled with a part of the blanket, but didn't care at the moment.

"I knew him as a Tool Maker," Vakama said after a moment, "But this was before he was put in one of those slagging pods..." He considered and then added, "But he never really felt like fire inside him, more so after I became a Toa."

"He's an Av-Matoran... from Karda Nui I believe," Mic informed him after a yawn. She rubbed at her eyes and then looked to the Hordika. "Sleep well?"

"Av?" Vakama blinked and then nodded, "Yes, that makes sense, being light based. And yes," he smiled though looked like he wouldn't mind sleeping more.

Mic shifted onto her side, not yet getting up, so that she had a view of the Hordika's tail end. Other than that, she also saw Abby laying across from them, half-dozing half-watching them, and smirked reaching out to fondly give the dog some love behind the ears. Abby moaned and went totally limp.

The mutated Toa yawned widely, his killing fangs unfolding as he stretched out. "I should check around that area to see if I can't get back..." he was slightly hesitant since it wasn't so bad here but... "My brothers need me."

Mic sagged slightly at the news that he would have to go back soon; she had grown very... attached to him, you could say (or maybe it was the other way around at times), Yet she knew it would have to happen at some point. The story couldn't continue without him. Vakama's words suddenly clicked in her mind and she turned onto her stomach, lifting her head from the floor. "What area?"

"The area I woke up in." Vakama said blinking his inner lids and tilting his head. Thinking for a moment he turned his head and used his muzzle in the right direction, "A small grass plane, that way, with small trees in clumps."

Mic had gone quiet as she thought over what he had said, a feeling in the back of her mind growing, trying to tell her something. Then she thought of something and asked, "Were there any multi-colored structures? Sidewalks that go in one large oval?" If she was right than...

The Hordika was quite as his shifted through his hazy memories of the first day and night in this human world before he 'met' Mic. "...yes. I think." Vakama was suddenly sheepish, "I was looking more for something to eat at the time."

"Fauna," Mic said, not paying attention to the Hordika. She slowly sat up, her limbs a bit stiff. "You were at the Fauna Park," she grunted.

"The what park?" Vakama half echoed in confusion.

"I don't come up with the names, but yeah I'm guessing that's most likely where you were; Fauna Park. It's in the middle of the neighborhood." Mic rolled her head to get rid of kinks. "Maybe the same way you got here can take you back... if it's there, that is."

"You can normally go both ways through a doorway." Vakama commented flicking his tail and tilting his head. Unaware that he had just hinted at his own future Turaga self.

Mic caught the hint however and grinned despite herself with a shake of her head. The human the proceeded to untangled herself from the blanket, not remembering how it got there, but did it anyway. What worried her was that this usually happened when she kicked in her sleep. The girl cringed at the thought of kicking the Hordika without knowing it, but said nothing.

The mutated Toa rolled onto his back as he, admittedly, wiggled on the carpet to scratch his spinner patch. Huffing, Vakama rolled back over and debated something before asking, "Now what? I don't think it would be a good idea to go walking out there," he flicked his tail meaning the outside world, "In broad daylight."

Mic sighed, her brow creased in a frown. "Yeah... we'd have to do it in the dark..." Her tone clearly stated that she was not thrilled with this fact as the previous night came back to her mind.

"You know you are safe," Vakama said after tilting his head a little and moved closer to give Mic another Hordika 'kiss' on the cheek.

Though a touch of unease remained in her eyes, she still managed a small smile. "Thanks."

Abby chose that moment to wake up and make a beeline for the screen door, turning her head to look at Mic as if to say 'WELL?'

Vakama rolled his multi-colored eyes at that, snorting since he had already let the dog out, twice. He remained where he was though, and by the time Mic came back she would see that Vakama had figured out the remote to the TV and was blinking at it. The scene was so ludicrous it demanded a picture.

The human snatched up her camera and snuck up on him before taking several shots, getting that fangirly feeling again. But not as bad. Yet. The show on the TV was some weird anime, but she wasn't paying attention, fingers flying, mainly pressing the big button over and over again.

It took a minute or two, and a show that Vakama could use his claws quite delicately to poke the buttons on the remote and change the channel. It didn't startle him, but he did manage to stop on the discovery channel and looked amused at the show (myth busters of all things). Then he noticed Mic and her camera, arching an eye ridge at her in a 'what are you doing?' way.

"Just felt like taking pictures," she said with a smirk. A certain black lab was barking at who-knows-what in the background, most likely a trespassing cat.

The Hordika gave Mic a weird look and shook his head before shaking his head. He yawned again, "What shall we do?"

"Well, there's not anything that has to get done today, for me at least," Mic's voice said; she was now in the kitchen and out of sight fixing a bowl of cereal for herself. Personally she just felt like being lazy. And though it was a nice morning, they couldn't exactly leave the house in the daylight. 'At least there's the backyard,' she thought.

"I don't having any pressing appointments," Vakama's voice drifted after Mic, more than a little amusement coloring his voice. He hadn't really moved still when she came back, but had returned his attention back to discovery channel. The Myth Busters had just blown something up.

The human stood next to him with her cereal, watching the myth busters. "Adam and Jamie... pros at making things go 'boom.'" she remarked.

"Should have seen Lhikan against a part of the Root." Vakama said unexpectedly with a smile. "Everyone in Ta-Metru could see the fireball from that, even Le-Metru too."

The thought of a massive fireball with an explosion made Mic snicker as she ate. After a few moments she glanced at Vakama. "You want anything I can get you?"

"Not at the moment, no thank you." Vakama said even as he rubbed the side of his forearms and then shifted in an inviting way for Mic to sit with him, making a soft trilling sound.

She acknowledged, having finished her breakfast, and sat on the floor once more and took up the remote. "Just let me know if you need anything, yeah?"

The Hordika shifted, very softly nudging his head under the girl's arm as he curled and snuggled close again. Then, in that way that purely came from a fire elemental's innate sense of humor (granted he didn't always show it but it was still there), "Hatchlings." There was a sly glint in his glowing eyes.

Mic turned to look at him, blinking, confused. "Hatchlings? What do you mean...?" She wasn't THAT clueless; she knew what a hatchling was... but why did he just say that-?

It took a lot of will power to make his eyes more green and yellow, though the pupil remained horizontal so his hordika side wasn't truly in full control, "Hatchlings, cubs. It's fun making them too."

If it weren't for the fact that Vakama and Nuju had done something like this with their brothers of stone and earth, the mutated Toa would have been shaking with repressed laughter by now.

The human stared at him with a cross between '_omg, he's a pervert_' look and a '_the heck do I do in this situation?_' look, not sure if it would be a good idea expressing her thoughts on the matter. But she did scoot a couple inches to the side.

It was so hard to keep a straight face, even if it was more muzzle now, but a somewhat strangled chirping sound got out of Vakama as his eyes wavered in color.

At the weird noises, Mic chanced a glance at Vakama, raising an eyebrow. What was up with his eyes _now?_ The human was uncertain as to what exactly the Hordika was saying, or doing... for that matter. He did have his weird moments after all.

Vakama laughed now, "You take some things far too literally!" he shook his head and flopped down on his side to laugh quietly to himself, sides shaking a little.

The Hordika soon found out what it feels like to be hit with a pillow, which Mic had grabbed from the couch behind them, her voice sounding out, "Dude! You were talking about SEX!" as the pillow made contact with his head.

"Unity passion yes," Vakama shook his head and used his tail to lightly whack Mic back as he snorted in amusement.

The girl's face was red in a blush as she grumbled, but a smirk was playing on her lips as she slapped the tail away. "Oh, so that's what you call it, huh?"

"It is a nice way of saying it instead of the blunt 'mating,'" Vakama snorted as he sat back up, "And it is a unity of body and mind so..." He shrugged.

There were many things she could say in answer to this... Mic had that semi-annoyed look on her face as she concentrated on staring at the TV before saying, "At least you talk about it with some kind of respect..." Remembering the joke he had just done she added slyly, "...for the most part."

"For a people seemingly obsessed with reproduction I don't think you can talk much." Vakama tilted his head at the laptop.

"...where did you hear that?" she sputtered. And if he even _dared_ to think of her in that kind of sense for REAL, she'd do something she'd regret.

"I got bored last night." Vakama said a little sheepishly and pointed at the TV.

Mic's mood changed as she realized what he could have and most likely had scene, if he had been watching the news especially. "N... not obsessed," she said quietly. "...that's not the right word. There's a lot of bad stuff in this world, and that guy last night was only a small part of it."

"I would assume that this world has light and shadows in its own way," The Hordika did his best to make a so-so gesture with a paw like hand, he couldn't and huffed in mild annoyance.

"Yes it does," Mic replied. Then she turned to him. "You got bored last night?" Oh geez, she kicked him in her sleep didn't she?

"I am nocturnal." Vakama smirked, it was the same reason he wasn't getting up or really moving at all.

Mic tapped her index finger on the floor for a second, warily. "What all did you do last night?"

"Mostly investigating," Vakama admitted as he rubbed the side of his head on Mic's shoulder and side in that Hordika way of reassurance, "And hunted, but I mostly stayed here to watch over you."

The human relaxed more, but she still wondered how much investigating he had truly done. Still, Mic was very grateful for him. While the Hordika was close enough, she planted a small grateful kiss on his head. "Thank you."

Vakama blinked, tilting his head at the kiss and gave a hesitant purr as he belatedly remembered what the motion meant by human standers.

Mic asked, "So, are you still tired?" He had been up longer after all. She didn't mind if the Hordika still wanted to sleep.

"Yes and no," The altered Toa said as he put his head down, "I don't mind being awake, but I'll just stay here." He nudged Mic's hand after a moment, tilting his head in a silent request for a scratch again.

He really was like a cat sometimes.

Smirking, Mic scratched at the implied area. "Fine by me," she glanced to her other side as her dog plopped down beside her as well. She seemed to be popular this morning.

* * *

><p>Queen's note: XD Hey! Go see the story In The Light did, it's called 'Entertaining Hordika.' It's related to this chapter and funny, go read and review it! Go! Shoo! ...though review here would be nice too. n.n<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Hordika Under the Bed

Mic stood over her dog on the patio, working at brushing off un-needed hairs from the jey-black lab. The morning had turned into noon, and it was still as nice as earlier, though Abby seemed to want to chase after the lizards instead of staying put for her human. Typical for a retriever.

It wasn't helping that Vakama was prowling around in the back yard, nose to the ground as he was investigating not only the lizards but insects as well. After a bit he came back over, tail twitching, "This is an independent Magna right?"

Mic looked up, flinging her own hair out of her eyes. "If you mean the country I live in, America, then yes. But there are many others that are under the control of a dictatorship. Why?"

"I meant," Vakama tapped one of his feet on the ground, "Is this a planet? I know there's a moon but sometimes we can see one in Metru Nui."

"Yeah this is a planet. Planet earth, as we call it." Abby tried to bolt on seeing the slightest move of a lizard, but Mic held her collar firmly.

"Odd name for a magna," Vakama muttered before giving a light growl at Abby, a 'sit still' command.

"I don't make the names," Mic replied as Abby immediately turned her attention on the Hordika and stayed put. After a few moments Mic stopped and let the dog wander off to chase what living creatures were left in the yard. Mic rubbed her sore back from bending over so long and turned to Vakama. "...there're other planets too, but none that are made to support human life."

"Hmm," Vakama shifted and laid down in the warm grass for another basking session. "This is the first...no, the second time I've been out of the Matoran Universe."

Mic assumed he meant leaving Metru Nui and finding the island of Mata Nui as she found a tennis ball hidden in the grass. The moment the ball became known, Abby bounced out of the bushes and tried to steal it, before the human actually threw it for the dog. Mis turned and looked down at the basking Hordika. "Do you have a plan for once you go back?"

The mutated Toa lifted his head to look back at her. After a few thoughtful moments Vakama gave a nod to his inner thoughts, "I have to find my brother Toa, and Rahaga as well... from there," He gave a deep sigh, "From there, find a way back to normal and free the city and more importantly the Matoran."

"Which you'll do," Mic said firmly, with a nod. "It's not impossible." Well hey, if meeting a supposedly fictional Hordika was possible, then saving a city sure was. Mic proceeded to stretch her stiff back. Boy was it gonna be weird when Vakama left...

The Hordika made that grumbling sound again as he put his head down before rolling onto his back in the grass, his belly to the sun. "I think I like seeing Bara and Bota in the sky." Vakama said after a bit.

"That must be pretty cool," Mic muttered, sitting on her knees as Abby brought the ball back and pranced just out of reach of the human, almost taunting her to try and take the ball back... which she tried to do and failed the first few times.

"The Rahaga say that it's what's left of our ancestors, true organic hordika were from as well as many other Rahi before the Great Beings and Mata Nui helped us become Bionicle." Vakama said, waiting for the retraction.

And he got one. The human turned her head to stare at him, processing the information. "...I... did not know that either." She frowned at herself and did a final grab for the ball, succeeding this time.

"We came from somewhere after all." Vakama snorted, and then smiled at Mic.

She only had a second to return the smile, for the overly excited Abby jumped at her, knocking Mic onto her back in the grass. "Oof! Abby, you big moose-!"

"I don't think you can know everything, about my world or yours." Vakama said with a frown, remembering Onewa's words that that would take all the fun out of life.

"No, no one can," Mic agreed, having shoved the dog off. She smirked. "I think that kinda knowing would hurt the head."

"And those around you," Vakama chuckled, enjoying the feeling of the grass.

"Yeah," Mic laughed. Abby then made a small whimper and limped around, keeping a paw off the ground. Mic frowned and crawled over to investigate the dog's cause of pain- a sandspur wedged in her paw.

It wasn't until Mic had sat back down again that Vakama move, his tail arching as he gave an indigent clicking sound. Using both tail and hip to push Mic off if the appendage, "Hey, that's attached."

For her part, the human had been oblivious to the fact that she had sat on the Hordika's tail. She blinked and looked at it then at him. Mic hid a smile. "Whoops. Didn't know it was that sensitive."

"It's mostly organic," Vakama made a face before giving a light push before rolling onto his back again.

"Well sor-ry," Mic said, throwing her hands up in mock defense muttering, "The freaking story never talk about you guys having tails y'know..."

The hordika snorted and with a twitch his tail thumped lightly against the human's side, a quick playful move as Vakama smiled again. Mic glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk before turning away and picking up Abby's ball, pretending to ignore him. Though in most cases it's rather hard to ignore a Hordika in your backyard. Mostly when said hordika discarded that he wanted to be a pain. Without making any sound, Vakama had rolled and half got up and the mutated Toa gave the back of Mic's neck an unexpected lick.

The girl jumped at the feeling on her neck with a muffled squeak. She finally turned her head around and gave him a glare that was, in her mind, scary. To him... probably not. "You big sneak."

Vakama grinned and then licked her cheek, because she hadn't moved, with a rumble that was almost like a chuckle. Mic could sense an attack of licks coming, so she playfully shoved him away with a grin of her. The altered Bionicle snorted as his muzzle was pushed away. Shifting and giving himself a shake, and then couched low with a light growl.

Mic began to ease away, and for a moment she wondered if she should be scared, a memory of their 'meeting' coming up. '_No, that's behind us...pfft, if anything I should, like run from his tongue._'

The human sprang up and made a doomed bolt for, well... she didn't know. It didn't hurt to try and outrun a Hordika.

Vakama waited a beat before vaulting up and bounding after, sliding easily enough against Mic's side as she ran. Both tripping and catching her so the girl wouldn't hit her head on the way down.

"No!" Mic yelled, in pretend fear, struggling to keep getting away from the Hordika.

Claw tips were catching on skin, but not doing anything more than leaving behind bloodless lines. The hordika gave a deep growl as he licked Mic's face, laying on his side and wrapping his arms around her. Despite Vakama's strength overpowering hers, Mic tried to squirm out of his 'embrace' and seemingly failing, turning her head to try and avoid the licks, a laugh escaping her throat.

The Hordika waited half a minute before letting Mic get nearly away before dragging her back. Instead of pinning or licking her again, he rubbed the side of his head against Mic with a half purr half chuckle.

"If you couldn't win yesterday, what makes you think you can get away now?"

Mic laughed and grinned. "I don't know... stupid optimism?" She knew there was no way she'd ever win against him, but it was fun trying to. In her head the human was trying to come up with some way of getting him good, thus her grin turned more evil-ish and she laughed again.

Vakama rolled his multi-colored eyes and, with a huff, gave Mic a lick to her neck again.

She grunted as the Hordika did this, but not in a bad way. More like a sound of dull defeat. "You do this often?"

"Do what?" The hordika asked as he relaxed.

"Lick people to death," Mic said teasingly, giving him a poke in the chest.

"No," Vakama shook his head, "I'm not as bad as some of the others."

Mic made a mental note to be glad that she wasn't going to meet the other Hordika and sighed. "Boy am I gonna miss you," she murmured sadly.

"Oh really?" Vakama arched up an eye ridge at that, not fully sure how to react to it, so he gave a soft purr.

"Heck yes," she muttered. "Besides the fact that Bionicle fans would kill to be in my place right now... I'm just gonna miss you for... you, and now I know how cheesy I'm beginning to sound, ugh...!" She face-palmed in embarrassment.

The hordika leaned forward and rubbed the side of his head against Mic's own side as he gave a deep, vibrating purr in reassurance. Mic snorted softly and gave him a few strokes to the head, finding his spot again. Vakama hummed a deeper purr in response, tilting his head into the touch, neck arching a little. He was perfectly content right now, and like the day before more 'sane' then he was at night.

"You really are like a giant cat," Mic smirked, still stroking. She glanced from him to his tail-tip. "Tail included, heh..."

The Hordika huffed at that, drawing himself up a little, "I... am a reptile actually."

"Yeah, okay," Mic rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking as if she didn't believe that. The human could see where he was more reptile-ish in looks and other things, but the purring, rubbing, and licking just made her think otherwise. If Vakama said he was a reptile, then he was a reptile. She just thought he had more cat moments than reptile. Mic sighed to herself, glancing up and around as a breeze blew through the yard.

Vakama tilted his head up and sniffed, eyes half closed as he scented the air only to frown. The Hordika stood, rising up to his hind legs, wincing as his back gave so many pops as his spine shifted to an up-right position. Not caring if anyone could see him he sniffed again, "Whenua?" he asked, confused.

Mic crouched on her knees and cringed. Though they had a privacy fence, when the Hordika stood on his hind legs his head went well over the fence's top. "Get down," she hissed, tugging at him. "What do you mean?"

"I smell Whenua." Vakama said looking around but not dropping down from his near nine foot height as he scented again walking a few steps like he would start for the front yard.

The human scrambled after him, stumbling on a stick. "Whenua? But, that's impossi-" she shut her mouth, knowing that it wasn't 'impossible' to meet a real Hordika. But, another one? "Are you sure?"

"Whenua smells like fresh, damp earth and tayco spices," Vakama hesitated, shifted and taking a deep, slow breath to fill all of his lungs, the Hordika let out a long 'howl.' Nothing like a wolf or dog's howl, for the Hordika's voice was more blended with a kind of singing voice.

The Hordika's sound caused nearly every dog in the neighborhood to start barking, going crazy basically. Mic reflexively reached up to cover her ears, but her hands never truly made contact since she was rather amazed at it. However she was mentally face-palming, knowing that anyone could be hearing this. Mic tried to gesture for his attention.

Vakama glanced down at Mic, blinking in a 'what?' way before crouching down. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he could as another, clearly hordika howl and far deeper in depth than Vakama's. It also subjected someone who was _bigger._

That second howl caused the barking to cease the moment it sounded. Inside the house, Abby had taken shelter on Mic's bed again, sensing what was at fault for the sound. Mic had froze, eyes wide, trying to tell herself it wasn't true...

...was it?

"Is," the human began, sounding nervous. "Is that... an answer?"

"He _is_ here!" Vakama all but turned in a circle before letting out another shorter half howl that had a part 'bark' at the end.

The human's mouth dropped open in disbelief, and somehow knew if she weren't kneeling on the ground already she'd have fallen by now. "...WHAT?" she stammered and ran a hand through her semi-tangled curls. "Holy crap..."

Vakama rumbled, pacing around the back yard on all fours, "Whenua's here! I told him where I was."

"Does th-that mean he's coming here?" Mic asked, still shocked. She whipped her head around quickly, scanning the yard for any signs. This was... happening waaay too fast in her opinion. ANOTHER Hordika? Here? As in, in the _real_ world? '_Where the heck are these guys coming from?_' she asked herself, now sitting on her rear instead.

There was a pause and then Vakama came back over to rub the size of his head against Mic's back softly in a reassuring way as he purred, "Well, yes..."

"Oy," the human rested her forehead into her hand. Her first encounter with a Hordika had been rather... intense to put it. Now there was another one, on his way here. Joy. But, a part of her was excited as well. She was going to meet Whenua Hordika! As scary as it sounded...

But then, hadn't Vakama been the only one to give in to the hordika side the most? There was something about Whenua being the most rahi-like...yet not Hordika-mad... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

After a few minutes Mic asked, "When do you think he'll get here?"

Vakama sniffed the air again, "Any click now." he judged tilting his head before turning to look at the back fence, "From that way."

Mic followed his gaze to the fence and sighed, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. "Okay, any minute," she said to herself, translating 'click' into 'minute' in her head.

The dark red Hordika hummed and in a surprisingly gentle move, gave Mic a nuzzle and quick lick. He was purring again too. Mic relaxed more and sighed, as if remembering that she was safe with Vakama around. Heck, it was just his brother they were going meet. She still leaned toward the red Hordika, for reassurance. Somewhere inside Abby was probably going nuts right now.

Vakama looked up as a massive form hopped the back fence, landing much softer then its mass would suggest he could. He was dementedly a Hordika, and in the day light his grey tiger stripe patter stood out only slightly on his matti-black coloring. Dark green and blue eyes swept around the back yard before fixing on Mic, or rather the smaller hordika half curled around her.

"Vakama?" The new Bionicle asked, voice deep and rumbling yet had a relieved tone as he stepped forward a few paces to meet the red Hordika that bounded over. Whenua pushed his head against Vakama, before rubbing the side of his against the other's, pushing Vakama to one side a little seeing as he was near twice as big in mass then the fire elemental.

'_OMG HE'S /HUGE!/_' Mic thought in awe and yes some fear to. Watching the two brothers greeting each other, and looking very relieved of each other for reasons that could be guessed, the human shifted slightly so that she would be prepared to stand when the need came. Right now she settled for watching the two elemental Hordika, simply amazed at the size difference.

The major difference was more that Whenua was more filled out, with 'broader' shoulders and chest then Vakama, generally filled out. Vakama, now that Mic could see him next to another hordika was made more for speed. The Hordika were purring as they starting talking rapidly in Bionicle, showing just how fast they could speak it.

Then, Whenua's head swung around to look down at Mic as he rumbled, "Kita?"


	11. Chapter 11

Hordika Under the Bed

Then, Whenua's head swung around to look down at Mic as he rumbled, "Kita?"

Having no idea what that meant, Mic blinked and glanced at Vakama, then back to Whenua, not sure what to say, though her mind was screaming in excitement and disbelief now that there were two Hordika in the yard, "Um... what?"

"Kita." Whenua said again in a slower tone as he took two steps closer, pausing and tilting his head.

"It's okay Mic," Vakama said from where he was sitting down to the side. "He wants to meet you."

"But what's he saying?" Mic asked, looking up at the black Hordika. Not really knowing what else to do, she began to extend her hand slightly, the gesture slow and cautious.

"I won't hurt you." Vakama said, watching as Whenua came closer to Mic sniffed her hand and then arm and up to the side of her face. He gave a deep rumble and smiled.

Mic returned the smile, shyly, though she was confused. "Why can't I understand him like I do you?"

"I have a translation stone in my armor," Vakama said dipping his head at his chest, "Whenua doesn't."

Whenua gave a grumbling like sound but it really didn't seem to bother him as the bigger hordika circle around Mic, quite pleased when she didn't, you know, run away screaming.

"Oh," Mic turned her head to watch Whenua when the Hordika came back around her. "That makes sense..." The human couldn't seem to get over how _large_ Whenua really was. And she had felt small with Vakama. "How long has he been in this world?" she asked Vakama, looking past his brother to see the red being better.

Vakama chirped for attention and asked, after Whenua rumbled something he frowned, "Longer then me..."

Another surprise, "Wow," Mic muttered. For who-knows-how-long there had been Hordika roaming in her neighborhood... and the way she saw it, they were very lucky that they hadn't been caught and or spotted by someone who was unfamiliar with Bionicle, and wouldn't know what they were. Glancing back to Whenua she said, to Vakama since he could understand her, "What all have you told him? Does he know that he's just a character in this world?"

"Eerrrmm...no," Vakama shook his head, "That will take a little longer to explain."

Whenua rumbled, looking back and forth between the two before licking his muzzle.

"...would you have a bucket for water Mic?"

Mic got to her feet, "Yeah, sure." Whenua's size would be a problem if he were try and enter the small kitchen. But he would probably be able to enter the house... "I'll go get it right now."

The smaller red Hordika spoke in Bionicle, motioning Whenua away so Mic could get up without crowding. The two sat together talking, or more then likely Vakama telling the black Hordika about this world.

Mic had gone to the concreted area where Vakama had been given a bath, rummaged through the garage for a bucket, and then filled it up with water. While doing this she went inside real quick to grab her phone, noting that there was an unanswered text message. She returned outside again and approached the two Hordika with her heavy bucket.

The sky had become more cloudily than earlier, and the breeze was picking up, signaling a future rain shower. Mic was just hopeful that it would cover in case any neighbors had wondered what was going on.

When she came back out the two Hordika at first looked like they were...well, actually Whenua was just pining a squirming Vakama down as the mutated earth Toa was inspecting the other's bad leg. Saying something that could only be an order to hold still. Seeing the fire Hordika pinned and not really enjoying it made Mic snicker, taking her phone out and snapping a quick silent picture. Good blackmail. She set the bucket down and looked back to them.

"Brought the water... he does know that your wound's been taken care of, right?"

Vakama growled into the grass, above Whenua chuckled, pausing long enough to give the smaller Toa a lick on the back of the head. "Ga?" he asked and then added another word or two that seemed like 'thank you' as Whenua came over to Mic.

"No problem," Mic glanced from him to Vakama and shook her head with a small smirk. "I'm beginning to think I'm holding a Hordika lodge."

Vakama snorted as he rolled over and hopped up, shaking himself, "I think we're it...er, you know Whenua says you're the first human not to run away from him..."

The girl tipped her head, both interested and wary. "He's been seen by others? Oh geez, that can't be good..." She turned to look back at the larger Hordika.

Whenua tilted his head, making a soft huff as he looked at the bucket of water Mic was still holding and back up to her face, waiting. The human put it down and stepped back and over a bit, more towards Vakama. Already the sun had vanished overhead as more clouds took over the sky.

The bigger Hordika drank, but he didn't seem to have that same desperate drinking that Vakama did like expecting never to see water again. Or it could be that Whenua had found the stream before or some other source of water, which seemed likely. He didn't look exactly starved either for that matter. Once done, Whenua purred at Mic as Vakama nudged her at the same time.

She sent the fire one a questioning 'what?' look. Vakama was used to Whenua. She kinda wasn't... yet. "Is there anything he needs?" she said, shifting her weight around a bit.

Looking at Vakama had been a distraction and before Mic was aware of the closeness, she got a lick from Whenua.

After whirling in surprise the human nearly facepalmed, remembering what Vakama had said about others and the whole 'licking' thing. And here she was-smack dab between two Hordika. _'Lovely. I must taste pretty good to them, pfft..._' "You too?" she moaned at Whenua, sensing that Vakama was probably finding this funny.

Whenua arched his neck in surprise and rumbled out something but Vakama was indeed no help.

Mic sighed a smile on her face. "Whatever," but she did send Vakama a small glare. The human felt her phone vibrate and stepped aside to sit at the fence and answer the message, leaving the two Hordika to themselves at the moment.

The altered Bionicle were softly speaking again, Whenua's voice that deeper rumble and Vakama's strangely light in comparison. The red one circled around his bigger bother a few times, restless as night was starting to edge in, while the earth elemental calmly sat and waited out Vakama's ramble. At one point he nodded and licked his muzzle, flashing his fangs, and ignoring Vakama's flinch.

Looking up from the tiny screen on the phone, Mic wondered what they could be speaking of. Perhaps Vakama got around to telling him what he was in this world... or maybe they were speaking of something else. Who knows? She couldn't speak Bionicle, and knowing this the human turned her attention back to the phone and finished her text.

A rumble proceeded the shadow that fell over Mic as Whenua came back over to her. Lowering his head to her level, sniffing a little and blinking his inner lids. "...Mic?"

She looked up, startled to see how close the black Hordika's head was, but made no fearful move. "Uh... yes?" Mic answered, even though he probably couldn't understand her.

Whenua took a step closer, crouching low to the ground and reached out to put one paw like hand on the human's closer leg. He tilted his head, "Der'ma, humino Mic...fee?"

"See." Vakama said from behind.

"See." Whenua repeated and then said again, "See?"

"See what?" Mic asked, perplexed with a tilt of her head, but she didn't mind the Hordika's curiosity.

"Mic." Whenua said, and the paw on her leg flexed a little, tugging her a few inches closer with no apparent effort.

The unexpected action caught her off guard but she still did not 'run away screaming.' Mic's eyes did widen slightly, however and she waited to see what the massive Hordika would do next.

Waiting a few beats to see her reaction, the big hordika purred as he pulled the girl closer to him. Softly sniffing up her leg and side to her neck before nudging her shoulder, the whole time Whenua's eyes had a kind of sharp keen-ness to them as he moved slowly.

The human understood what he was doing, and remained still for him, but if he 'explored' any certain areas she'd put a stop to it. Whenua as a Matoran and been an Archivist, and there was no doubt whatsoever that his interests in other species were long gone.

Quite the opposite it seemed.

The Mutated Toa seemed to know what to avoid, for the most part, and Whenua purred reassuringly. It was more of a vibration as he curled snuggly close, chuckling at Vakama's huff for being left out. Mic grinned, also taking the huff to note but gave the fire Hordika no attention. Instead she gave Whenua's head a few curious strokes, knowing how there were differences in his build than Vakama's. His head was also bigger.

Whenua's muzzle was a bit more blunted on the end, the jaw in general had a stronger feel to it if Mic was to run her fingers down the jaw line. He tilted his head so the human was looked right into one large, softly glowing eye. Even though he had his inner lids firmly closed she could still clearly see the horizontal green pupil and blue-ish backdrop.

Like with Vakama, Mic was amazed at the Hordika and the eyes especially. Nothing in the human world had real eyes like theirs. She turned her head to look over at Vakama. "Your brother's unlike anything I've ever seen... expect perhaps _you_ maybe."

"Whenua's made for excavation, and darkness." Vakama said scooting closer to the two, "He's more sensitive to light then I am."

The human glanced upward at the darkening sky, feeling a small raindrop hit her face. She bit her lip. "Maybe we should go inside now. I don't want my phone to get wet."

Whenua made a chirping sound at Vakama as he looked at his brother for a translation and then upwards, grumbling something. Then he dipped his head and the Hordika's open jaws wrapped come around Mic's shoulder and part of her back. His fangs did pressing against the softer human skin, he didn't puncher through as Whenua lifted Mic up onto her feet and then nudged her back with his head, pushing the girl gently to the house.

"Oh..." Vakama blinked, "Carsa ne alo."

"Ga-Ko cinp." Whenua grunted, more aware of the hazards for organics then the other Toa.

Mic looked at them as she walked back, wishing more than anything that she could understand the black Hordika. She was sure they'd get along quite nicely. More drops came down, but it was only a mere sprinkle signaling the harsher to come. She remembered something. "Abby." Mic turned and darted inside, to figure out what had become of the dog.

Vakama moved inside, looking back and humming as he watched Whenua give himself a quick bath of sorts. He did have a bit more manors, or he just had been spending more time with Nuju and Nokama. By the time Mic came back he was just giving the door a judging look, starting to shake his head.

Mic pretty much knew what Whenua was shaking his head about-the door wasn't wide enough. Luckily, since it was a double sliding glass door, including the 'mind of its own' screen that shut automatically, it could be made wider. Mic pushed back both of them and looked from him to Vakama. "Will that work?"

Whenua eyed it, and carefully eased his way through, murmuring in a pleased way when he did managed to get in without hurting anything, though he stayed low and was mindful of his tail.

Mic had shoved the couch backward to make more room for the Hordika. With both of them, they'd probably take up the living room space, but that room was big enough to house the both of them for now. Mic turned to Vakama. "It'll be a few hours, maybe two or three, before it'll be dark enough to go out. Is there anything I can get for him and you?"

Vakama looked at Whenua and repeating the question, but the bigger Hordika shook his at Mic head as he laid down in a clear 'no' fashion. Tucking legs up close and curling his tail, Whenua didn't take up as much space as he would have, had he been a sprawler like Vakama- who flopped down on top of his earth brother, "He says he ate already."

"'Kay," Mic seriously considered making a grab for the camera again, but decided not to... for now maybe. She turned her head on hearing that familiar sound of nails clicking on the floor. Abby poked her head around the corner, warily, growling to herself at the larger newcomer in her living room.

Mic got down on the floor and called her dog over, wanting to get her used to Whenua as well. Abby just stared from her spot and only took a step closer, tail lowered.

The big black Hordika hummed, opening one inner lid half way to peer at Abby. Unlike Vakama, Whenua started an oddly calming, humming song of sorts.

Abby cocked her head suddenly, not expecting that, and listened for a few good moments. Not exactly as fearful as before she came closer, sniffing the floor where the new Hordika had already touched, before peering around Mic to get a good look at Whenua under Vakama. The dog let out a curious whine.

Whenua rumbled pleasantly, glancing at Mic before nudging Vakama with his muzzle and looked back at the dog. Vakama explained, and Whenua looked amused at whatever was said. "What was the rahi's name again?" the red hordika asked.

"Her name's Abby," Mic supplied, giving the black lab a good stroking behind the ears. "She's a dog."

"Dog." Whenua echoed, sounding it out again, his voice full of interest, "Doooogg..." He reached and offered a paw like hand to both canine and human, purring in reassuring way and unparsed by Vakama's weight sprawled on top of him.

Abby's ears perked at the movement and she stood, reaching out her head to sniff the Hordika's paw/hand while Mic watched with slight amusement at her 'guard dog.'

Whenua mimicked the human's move a little, but used the backs of his claws to do so. He was fully enjoying this unexpected little trip. Abby stayed still for a few more moments before finally backing up, not very used to the size of the Hordika... or the fact that they kept taking over the living room. The dog walked off, drank from her bowl, and vanished into the hall. Mic snorted and shook her head.

"That went considerably well," she muttered while thinking to herself.

Vakama chuckled with his brother before the fire elemental twisted and reached, a moment later he had grabbed Mic. One good tug and some supporting and the end result had Whenua blinking in mild amusement and a smug Vakama. Mic was now oddly snuggled between the two.

"Ner," Whenua shook his head at Vakama, but at the same time he didn't protest at all. Probably that Hordika pack instant again or just that the mutated earth elemental didn't mind.

"Whatever," Mic said, long over the idea of trying to refuse and or escape a Hordika. The rain could be heard outside, coming down harder, and some thunder followed in the distance. The human was quite content to relax and be lazy right now, if not for the fact that in a few hours they'd be going out again. And she was dreading it in her heart.

She knew she would be safe, and now there were TWO Hordika, so double the protection... but Mic hated the thought of walking in the dark alone again, not being able to see them... or anyone else for that matter.

Leaning up against Whenua, Mic would be able to feel the heat coming off the Hordika. Vakama was more on his brother's tail curled up so the two made an oblong cercle of sorts. The bigger changed Toa seemed quite happy to nap, but Vakama was a little more restless.

Mic noticed this, since she too couldn't relax all the way. "Something wrong, Vakama?" she asked quietly.

"Not wrong..." He shook his head before shifting and putting his head on Mic's lap. "I can feel it's getting darker out."

Mic sighed, neck bent as she gazed down at him, the distance not really THAT far; he was right in her lap after all. "You had to bring that up..."

"Bring what up?" Vakama tilted his head to look up with one red and orange glowing eye.

Mic had some trouble answering, somewhat ashamed of her fear of the upcoming night. "That... it's getting dark again, and we're going out... again."

Whenua rumbled behind her, opening his eyes as he took in the tone Mic had used, shaking off his brother's tail before looking over. At the same time Vakama lifted his head and shifted so he could rub the side of his head against Mic.

"That human can't hurt you. And there are two Toa Hordika with you now."

"This I know, but I can't get the experience out of my mind!" Mic moaned, putting her head in her hands. "Do you know what could have happened had he actually taken me?" She shuddered, though her body had grown very tense. "And what if it happens again? Someone could get hurt, or worse..."

A deep growl came from the black Hordika, the sound vibrating through Mic's back as Whenua lifted his head and rumbled out a question, when the smaller mutated Toa hesitated there suddenly a scuffle around the human. A snarl, yip, growl and a flurry of movement- yet neither bumped nor did a claw catch Mic's skin.

In the end, Vakama was ejected into the hall out of the way, complaining in Bionicle as he rubbed his left side, and Whenua was settling back down around the girl. Something round and medallion like in shape in his hand. Rumbling something under his breath, Whenua curled his tail over Mic to keep her from getting up as he fiddled with the thing before dropping it into her hands.

The human looked down at the thing before looking back at Whenua, heart pounding at the scuffle that had just taken place around her. Watching Hordika fight that close was kind of nerve racking. Mic was confused, even more so since she wanted to go to Vakama and was being prevented from doing so. She looked back at the round object in her hands. "...I don't understand."

"Vakama didn't think to give you that instead." Whenua...said?

For a moment Mic forgot about the fear that had grown back about going out in the dark. The Hordika's voice suddenly responding and making sense to her surprised the girl, but looking back at the stone it clicked. "Oh... so that's what that was all about."

"The translation stone," Whenua nodded before nudging the hand holding the medallion up and against Mic's chest, "It's more or less programmed now, just keep it close and in contact with you."

After glancing at the red Hordika still near the hall, Mic turned as best as she could, her back to Whenua for a moment as she stored the stone away and out of sight for the moment before turning back as she was, oddly silent with her own thoughts.

"It's okay," Whenua said lowering his head to look at Mic, blinking the inner lid open for a moment. "We won't leave you alone out at night."

Vakama huffed as he came back in before settling down again, "Of course."

"I know you won't," the human said, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "But it's not easy to forget what happened... I can't even talk to my own parents about it for heaven's sake!" Hands balled into fists.

Vakama hummed and then came closer to nudge Mic, "Nothing did happen though. Focus on that."

"I'm trying to," the human glanced at him, trying to calm her tensed body. More thunder sounded outside with the rain, but it was still faint.

Whenua rumbled himself in response to both her words and the thunder. He missed the archives, always preferring the safety of being partly underground and storm watching from there. Then, he opened both eyes to focus on Mic completely, "What is this Magna like?"

Mic pushed some hair behind her ear. "Well, it's very different from yours I'm sure... humanity is the main race, and dominant. There are many different lands, some ruled by a king or queen, others dictated," The human frowned at herself. It was so weird trying to explain your own world to someone else... that kind of situation didn't really pop up very often after all.

The big black Hordika hummed, "Tell us about it? The Rahi, wahis or metrues?" he asked, distracting Mic as he settled into asking questions to learn, different then when Vakama had asked.

Mic started off by going into more detail about the canine race, and different things dogs were used for, namely seeing eye dogs since her friend was a long time guide dog raiser. Then she told him about America's history and how things were at the present. She said nothing about the Bionicle storyline.


	12. Chapter 12

Hordika Under the Bed

Vakama hopped up onto Whenua's back and then back down, pacing over to where Mic was on the back porch. "Mic?" he asked and then turned so his side was to her, "Here."

She blinked coming closer. "You... want me to ride you?"

"It'll be faster," Vakama nodded as he crouched down low, tuning his neck to look back at the human.

"We can move quieter and," Whenua smiled as he came over, tail twitching a little as he rose up to his hind legs. As tall as Vakama was, Whenua was just...massive. "One of us can bring you back safely if we find that passage back to Metru Nui."

The human offered a grateful smile. "Thank you," Mic turned back to Vakama and proceeded to climb onto him, hoping she wouldn't be too heavy or anything. "Do you know the way back?"

"I can smell Po-Metru," Vakama said shifting and rising up and started to pace; as much for him to get used to the new weight as for Mic to get the hang of the Hordika's movements. Mic was sitting pretty much on the spinner patch, there was oddly grips in the mutated Bionicle's armor. It wasn't like riding horseback, but smoother than expected.

"We just fallow the scent now that it's back," Whenua explained better as he dropped to all fours and fallowed after Vakama, both his eyes were wide open and he moved in the dark easier then the red hordika was.

Mic shifted around slightly, till she was sure she had a good grip. Never in her life had she expected to ride a Hordika. It was kinda... cool. The human turned her head slightly to try and get a better look at the fire Hordika's face, which was difficult when you're on his back. "Vakama, what about not being seen? Won't someone see me?"

From behind Whenua started chuckling as Vakama shifted and moved so that one glowing eye glanced. Then... the metal on and around the red Hordika's head seemed to gleam for a moment before fading in color a bit and than changing to more blend in. This change spreading up his neck and down his shoulders and back up his body, but where Mic's body was against Vakama's...she could see her own skin changing color to match along with Vakama until she was...blended in.

The human rolled her eyes at herself, though she was also in wonder at what had just happened... she was, like, gone. "Oh. That's how... you sure I'm not too heavy for you?"

"If he can carry Nuju around Vakama won't have any trouble with you," Whenua said as he paced beside his brother, crouching low and more slinking in the shadows.

Mic raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering when Vakama had had to carry Nuju. She scanned around with her eyes as they moved farther away from her home. It was a very different experience than the other night, for now since she was clinging onto the Hordika's back, where he moved she did too.

And one thing was clear: there was no way that she would get into any sort of trouble now.

At least that she knew.

Whenua lifted his head, scenting the air, some sense hinting that he miiiiiight be able to pick something up from the authors. The big black Hordika frowned and scanned around as the Toa moved, not running but still keeping a good pace. Growling he waited for Vakama to go into the park first and then, after one more look around fallowed.

Fauna was nearly dead this night, except for a few young men hanging around the basketball hoops as Mic held on tighter. Their seemingly unknown destination was taking them deeper in, past the large running track and right in the beginning of a large clumps of trees, whereas on the other side was an old road.

Mic spotted something as they drew near this area... yellow tape stretching from a few trees, in a circle of some sorts, framing a very large amount of ground.

After Vakama and Mic slid under, and Whenua hopped over the tape both Hordika froze. Every muscle that Mic could feel under her in Vakama was taught as he tensed in a crouch, chest vibrating like he was growling, only no sound came out of the fire elemental.

Not understanding what was wrong she looked over... and her eyes widened. The human slid off the red Hordika and came around to kneel and stare... a large gaping hole in the ground. Remembering the Hordika's reactions, she turned and looked at them. "...well?"

"Something's here." Whenua said growling as he moved with Vakama so their back's were to each other.

"It smells like Makuta..." Vakama added, worried.

Mic glanced at the two Hordika before turning her attention back to the hole. "Then this could be the way back..."

"Mic," Whenua warned, dropping his voice, "Quiet...there's a Makuta _here._"

Mic suddenly understood their concern and took a step away from the hole. '_No way... there can't be, a Makuta... HERE!_'

Vakama shifted, pushing his shoulder against Mic and in turn pushing her back, but not away from the hole in the ground but towards it, "Show yourself Makuta, we've already faced and defeated one of your kind."

Beside the red Hordika, Whenua wondered for a moment if this was some overly elaborate plot for revenge.

The human flashed Vakama a look that asked if he were mad, seeing as digging her heels into the ground wasn't stopping him from pushing. "What the heck?" she mouthed at him, glancing at Whenua for help.

"They are leery of me human." A dark, female voice said, not exactly smooth but for a moment, both Hordika froze. Vakama making a squeaking sound as he took in the outline of the form that was coming out of, or...no, being made out of the darkness in front of them. The outline of this new being was like Roodaka, her people, but there was a long tail with a wicked blade at the end that reflected red and white.

Mic thought for sure her eyeballs would pop out of her skull. This new being was... unexpected to say the least. Not to mention freaky! The girl made an effort not to scream, but she did somehow manage to scramble up and behind Vakama.

Hissing came from behind the being- far bigger than either Toa. The size scale between Toa and Makuta was...staggering. The forms of something hunched and spinney were lurking just out of sight in the sudden darkness.

"You might want to run." The female voice before came from the Makuta as two Rahksii came into view from the sides.

Whenua acted without thinking, one swipe had a still frozen Vakama up and Mic was seized a little uncomfortably in his jaws before his jumped to the pit, where the smell of Metru Nui was coming from.

Mic wasted no time in screaming as gravity took its toll and they went tumbling down... and down... in nothing but thin air and darkness. Hysteria took over and she screamed some more, flailing in fear. "I WANNA LIVE!"

Whenua growled, resisting the automatic urged to _bite_ as he struggled with both human and now writhing red Hordika.

The fall did not seem to be halting anytime soon, and Mic resorted to screwing her eyes shut, telling herself it wasn't real... but it's hard when the distinct feeling of falling gripped you. It was like a horrible version of Alice in Wonderland, with no idea what was to come at the bottom. Mic just prayed that she wouldn't die.


	13. Chapter 13

Hordika Under the Bed

"Mic?" Whenua's voice asked and she was nudged, "Open your eyes, it's over." She was nudged again. The falling had just...stopped, but there was no squishing involved. It had just been a swift shift and the human had been set down.

For a few seconds she recited a memorized poem in her head before daring to open her eyes. But something wasn't right... what was she seeing? Whenua's face mostly took up her vision and his shifted, pretty much sitting on Vakama as the smaller Hordika calmed down.

"Are you alright?"

"Wh-What happened?" she answered with a question of her own, feeling like she was still falling though she wasn't. Stupid after effects...

"Less than dignified way of getting home." Vakama mumbled getting his head and neck free, blinking slowly as he took in the dark landscape, "Po-Metru?"

"Yes." Whenua nodded, standing and picking Mic up to set her on her feet.

Her eyes were huge and she couldn't help blurting out, "PO-METRU?" as the black Hordika did this. When she was upright she only fell back to her knees, in utter shock, but at least she was upright for the most part. '_Po-Metru!_'

Both Hordika hissed at her, Whenua's paw like hand wrapping around her mouth (and around her neck as a result). They tensed, looking around, spinner patches humming to life as they did so

The human went stiff, though a tremble escaped every other second as her brown eyes snapped to the right and left. This... couldn't be happening.

Rocks were heard shifting and falling...and then something cat-shaped slinked out of the darkness into view. It was as big as a dog, bio-mechanical and chasing a six legged bug-thing.

Whenua relaxed, "Just a Po- tiger."

Mic wrenched her head free from him as a result, but made no more blurted shouts of shock or disbelief... best to just keep those inside the head. The human panted slightly, looking around before turning, as if hoping to see the way back to her reality.

It looked like a half rounded cave thing, more dug into the side of a bluff, now pits or places above to fall from. Back in front the 'tiger' had pounced on the bug-thing, evidently killing it before darting off with its prize. Vakama slid around the other two and outside, sniffing and scanning around.

"Looks clear."

At first, the only thing Mic wanted to do was go back, to get back to home... but remembering the freaky being and the, oh lord, _Rahkshi_ she thought better of it. On looking past Vakama she could see a very different world than her own. Not even books could go into as much detail of the real life Metru of stone.

Though dark, there was still enough light to see the general outlines of what could only be a rocky desert. It was wide and vast as Whenua nudged Mic out ahead of him, the black Hordika's bulk shielding her on one side. The smells of hot rocks and the warmth under foot suggested that it hadn't been dark too long.

"Stay close," Whenua said, "You stand out a bit."

The human had no intentions of NOT staying close whatsoever. But as for standing out... Mic got a bad feeling in her stomach as she walked out, trailing behind Vakama, unconsciously gripping her phone within her pocket. Like that would actually do anything in this situation. "What... happens now?" she asked slowly.

"At the moment," Vakama looked back, "Get into the archives, more secure."

"I think we should stop by the market first," Whenua cut in, keeping his pace so Mic could fallow, "We can get the little one a," He said something that the translation stone put the word 'poncho' in the human's mind.

Mic tipped her head slightly, confused. "A what?"

"A...cover." Whenua said slowly, coming up with another word, "It's going to get very cold in a little bit."

She just nodded, knowing they knew more about their island home than she did. The thin green jacket she wore probably wouldn't be as much help out here.

The market was far too... dead. Both Vakama and Whenua had been to the Po-Metru markets and it was just far too creepy not to see it packed with Matoran bodies. The earth elemental paused walking down the street, dipping his head to gently lift something off the ground, a Kanoka disk?

"At least the Po-Matoran had some warning." Vakama said from where he was inspecting some more disks, and what had to be a Matoran sized launcher, "They really did put up a fight."

Despite how dead the place was, Mic had a sense of curiosity as she gazed at the Matoran designed market. She spotted the launcher the red Hordika was looking at. "Against what?"

"Vahki," Vakama said with a snort, shaking himself from head to tail tip. He looked more than a little sad, almost sulking more than walking.

"They're shut down," Whenua said, huffing and returning to his scenting, adding more to Vakama next, "Nuju's been trying reprogram them to go after the Visorak."

"That's... smart," Mic said lamely, nudging a disk with her foot. She scanned the area again with her eyes. "So, where do I find a 'cover' you mentioned?"

"Over here," Whenua said, having walked away some odd paces and now sat down in front of a store front, he was far too big to fit inside but motioned Mic to go in, "Fabrics." He explained as Vakama sat down beside him, but facing the other direction.

Mic entered the empty shop, glad that the roof was not too low. The inside was dusted with sand and small webs, but it wasn't badly cluttered. Making her way through, she found something that looked promising and proceeded to shake it, dust and sand flying.

It was a rug.

A very pretty rug, the weave was actually dark blue with a yellow pattern in it like fire. It probably belonged to the owner of the store, or he was reselling it. There were some displays of assorted fabric things in this front room, but there was a door in the back that lead to the back of the store in a wider room/chamber for storage.

Mic walked through the shop until she reached the storage room, still holding her new found treasure. Sure enough, in the back were a good amount of different assorted fabrics, ranging from all sizes and lengths. Mic glanced at the rug over her forearm and then back to the wide room, jumping slightly when a biomechanical rat-like thing scurried across the floor.

Unexpectedly another of those 'tigers' dropped down from above and with a little church the rat-thing was no more. Unlike the one outside in the desert this one was smaller and a light tan and white colors instead of dark brown. Wide blue eyes turned up at Mic and the Rahi mewed.

The human clutched her rug tight, startled, but relaxed slightly. It wasn't very large, maybe a bit bigger than Abby. Still, it was a Rahi...

Mic watched it for a moment. "Well... you're kinda pretty, huh?" she laughed quietly at herself.

It mewed again, ducking to pick up the rat thing and trotting over, sitting in front of Mic, looking very smug about itself as it put the vermin at her feet. This wasn't a wild Rahi, in fact it had writing etching on the armor.

"Ahh... thank you," Mic said, somewhat disgusted. Taking note of the writing, but not being able to read it, she decided that it wasn't wild. It could be the shop owner's pet, used for catching the rats that got it maybe. Bending, Mic cautiously petted its head.

"You abandoned, Mr. Rattrap?"

The feline Rahi gave a light purr lifting up a little to accept the pet, arched it's back as it rubbed against Mic. Relieved enough to see anyone Matoran-like that it was willing to over look the pure organic thing.

Mic rolled her eyes with a smile. "Seems anything that purrs can't leave me alone," She gave one more stroking before moving on, spotting a good piece of fabric. Thicker than her own jacket too. It was a faded shade of blue, with an interesting yellow pattern running along the hem.

Mic got right to work in putting the fabric over her own clothing. In the end, it resembled something of a shawl. She turned to 'Rattrap' and shrugged. "It'll do."

The Rahi tilted it's head, mewed again and looked down at the rat-thing, and back up at Mic, expectantly. It was probably used to getting a treat or food, though it didn't seem to mind her taking the new shawl. It's white tail swished through the dust and kept its large blue eyes on the human.

The girl sighed sadly. "I don't have anything for you..." The Rahi's expectant, slightly longing expression made Mic sighed again, harder. '_Can't resist... cute animals._'

"Well, maybe I can find you something up front," she said to herself. Perhaps the owner keept treats or something in the front of the store, so she went back and looked around the counter areas. Mic eventually found a stone-made basket seeming item hidden away, and inside were... some kind of weird... strips.

The Rahi fallowed her out, bee-lining over to one wall where, under a display table was a mini-pool of water that was hocked up to the water line for the water kept moving. The Rahi trilled as it bounded over to Mic, not seeing Whenua and Vakama lower their heads to peer in at them.

The rahi hopped up to a table before going back down as it remembered it wasn't supposed to be up there. With another trill it sat and all but wiggled as it waited.

"Okay then," Mic murmured, pulling out one of the strips, thinking about how much this rahi reminded her of Abby whenever she got the dog treats out. Mic flung the treat through the air, toward the awaiting Rahi.

It backed up, startled but managed to catch it. Scrambling a little but flopped down to start chewing.

"Its hand trained," Whenua said softly so not to startle either. "Po- and Onu-Matoran use them to keep the vermin populations down."

"Like a housecat," Mic nodded, watching the Rahi chew away for a few moments. She turned and started for the exit/entrance, and the waiting Hordika, noting how much darker it was now.

"You could set a few of the food containers down." Whenua said tilting his head to focus one glowing eye on Mic. "It might be a while before her master comes back..."

"Right," Mic quickly went back in and found them, setting them on the ground. '..."Her!" Mr. Rattrap is a girl,' she thought to herself, mentally face palming. Well, how was she supposed to figure out biomechanical Rahi genders? Mic shook her head at herself, giving Miss Rattrap some more strokes to the head before leaving.

Vakama was watching, humming in approval as Mic came out. Neither Hordika got too close so not to scare the tamed Rahi inside. Already it was getting cooler out as Whenua had said.

Thankful for the new shawl, Mic looked to the two larger Hordika. "Now where do we go?"

"Down," Whenua said, pleased with going back underground to his home Wahi/Metru, "The others were heading to the Onu-Suva last I saw them."

"Down," Mic repeated, knowing what that meant. "How far is the Suva from here?"

"Normally with the chutes working a few hours." Whenua make a face, "Walking or even loping straight will take us until next nightfall."

"But we can't go straight can we?" Vakama asked as he stood up.

'Wow,' Mic thought. 'Metru Nui must be waaay bigger than I thought.' The thought of walking so long did not sound very pleasing... not when your body would be asleep by now. The timing was off in this world than in hers.

"Straight?" Mic repeated.

"No," Whenua shook his head as he stood up on all fours, stepping over and crouching down. "Get on Mic, I can move faster and it'll be as cold as Ko-Metru in less than an hour."

The human did as she was told and climbed onto the larger of the two Hordika. Finding herself in a similar position as she had been with Vakama, Mic shifted a bit and got a better grip, not even bothering to ask if she were too heavy this time.

Vakama flashed her a grin as he did a kind of half trot to keep up with his brother's longer 'normal' stride. "How's the view?"

She just smirked and said, "Not too bad. I've been higher, though. "

"It might be a better idea if you stick more to ground level." Whenua said, looking back, "And avoid going with the climbers, Matau and Nuju."

"At least Nuju is sensible." Vakama grumbled.

"I'll keep that in mind," Mic glanced around as they went. The city was just so... dark and... quiet. For now at least. A thought suddenly came to her: what happened if the Visorak attacked them? The thought suddenly reminded her how real everything was now.

Sidorak and Roodaka were at the Coliseum, too. '_Ohhhh, why did I have to remember THAT?_'

The red Hordika sniffed, huffed, and then leaned up to lick Mic's hand, having picked up on her fear. Probably smelled it, and if so the earth elemental did too because he hummed under her.

Mic let out a deep breath and set her head down on the earth Hordika's back. "...tell me again how long until we get there?"

"Tomorrow night, late." The earth giant rumbled, scanning around the buildings and carvings before spotting what he wanted. And arch like structure on one end and sloping into the ground.

"Wait," Vakama paused, scenting and looking up.

"What's wrong?" Mic asked, sitting up a bit, eyes on Vakama.

"Hang on," Whenua warned as he got ready to run, hearing the whine of power from not only Vakama's power but from other points in the dark as well, "And stay low,"

Mic immediately tightened her grip on Whenua, clinging at him as new fear rushed through her, keeping herself plastered to his back. "It's them isn't it?" she whispered.

Her answer was twin roars, the deeper more deathening one from Whenua as he launched himself forward. Vakama's howl was a bit lighter and sound more mixed, yet there was a counterpoint shrieks from several directions. The earth Toa was making for the underground entrance, for all the world acting like a living tank as the dark Bionicle plowed through two large green forms that dropped down.

Mic let out a scream, unable to hold it in, and shut her eyes tightly, her senses picking up the Hordika's fast movement under her.

'Visorak!' her mind screeched. Already memories of the movie and how the Toa Metru were mutated ran through her mind. She did not want the same to happen to her. All the human could do was put her trust in Whenua, and hope for safety.

Hordika could move extremely fast, the bio-mechanical-ness of their boding helping, but Whenua... The earth elemental could sprint, his line of true Hordika ancestors were ambush predators, not like Vakama who could chance down pray. He slowed just shy of the entrance, apparently just enough for a stray spinner in the air to graze over his back.

...His back were there should have been a clinging human!

A freaky sensation spread over the human when she hit the ground, the spinner having knocked her clean off Whenua. First there was a tingling, and then it vanished... along with her own ability to move! Mic gasped in horror, unable to get up and run; her brain was demanding to but her body did not response.

This was... very bad. But her voice had not gone. Mic screamed again, hearing the Visorak approaching from out of her sight.

There was a thumb, from four points all around the girl and the sensation of something big above her. With her face making friends with the road way. The thing above her, in could only be a Visorak hissed and works mandibles...

...and then there was a pulse of energy that ripped the air and made the earth itself trembled and vibrated. Whenua was roaring again as he charged over to grab Mic.

"Help me!" Mic shrieked, rendered completely helpless to the four Visorak around her. The one closest was making that hurried sound, just like in the movie. The human shifted her eyes upward, only able to see a dark shape.

"Help me!" Mic shrieked, rendered completely helpless to the Visorak above her. It was making that hurried sound, just like in the movie. The human shifted her eyes upward, only able to see a dark shadow

That shadow was jerking and twitching as the spike-like feet of the creature dragged too close. There was another earth-rattling tremor and pulse of energy before the spider like monster was blowed over and away from Mic. She might see the stream lined form Vakama launching at the rolled over Visorak, a moment later though long, powerful claws wrapped around the human's middle and lifted her up off the ground.

The human tried to thrash, in the dark about who or what was picking her up, but that failed of course so she yelled instead, trying to get a better look as her head rolled around. "What the heck!"

Tucked up close to the hard, half metallic body Mic could feel a clearly Hordika growl as one to the Toa, probably Whenua carried her. The earth elemental was doing a half loping run, alternating between two legs and three before diving into the dark and underground, "Vakama! Lock the door!" He bellowed over his shoulder.

Rolling her eyes around to try and spot the fire Hordika, Mic saw mostly blackness in the underground entrance. But she still could not see the red Hordika.

Where was Vakama?

The air spiked in temp, but Whenua was keeping Mic close and at a bad angle to see what was going on. After a moment he set the human down against the wall and bounded over to bat off a Visorak from Vakama's back and stood to close the door as the smaller Vakama fumbled with a glowing panel to one side.

Mic remained in the place where she was set, still unable to move her body. She panted heavily as she watched the two Hordika, as the door was being closed, locking the Visorak outside. It also took away whatever moonlight there had been as they were submerged in underground darkness.

"Well this is nice." Vakama grunted after taking in the sudden quite and darkness.

"Use your spinner if you need," Whenua's voice said as he moved back over to Mic. To the side there was a hum of power and a dim red light formed on Vakama's back. "Mic?"

She would have moved her head if she could. "I can't move..."

"It'll ware off," Whenua assured as he reached out to lift her up into his arms, "Sorry Vakama and I aren't of the healing elements."

"I hope is does soon," Mic replied, not very used to being like a lifeless ragdoll. Remembering what had just took place she added, "And thanks."

The Toa's glowing eyes turned down to the human, extremely bright in the dark, "Don't worry, it will."

"Just... what exactly happened out there?" she asked. She had been either keeping her eyes shut, or had her face in the ground. So she wasn't all too sure about what had been going on around her. "What about you guys? Are you okay?"

"Just a couple bits," Vakama assured, walking on all fours beside his brother so he was out of sight, "And it was a small pack of Visorak. About six."

To herself Mic was glad that she HADN'T truly seen much. Giant spiders would be her number one nightmare. She rolled her eyes, remembering what Vakama had said before giving him a bath about not going to Metru Nui because of her bug fear.

And now look where she had wound up. "Geez, I'll settle for the wolf spiders any day than those... /things./" she said, frowning.

"What?" The earth Toa asked, "Are those a Rahi?"

"Uh huh," was the dull reply. "They're tiny, hairy, and disgusting... found one when I was giving him a bath." It was obvious who the 'him' was, since 'him' was walking beside Whenua, though out of her sight.

"Not that impressive," Vakama said with a snort.

"That was just a baby," Mic said. "The adults are freakier."


	14. Chapter 14

Hordika Under the Bed

There was a soft glow of light stones that lit the room when Mic woke up. It looked like a storage room, not really a closet but it was secure and the door could be locked from the inside. A heat-stone was placed near but not too close to the human as it was new and would burn her. But Vakama of coarse was curled up close in the seemingly nightly snuggle he had adopted, the Hordika making a snoring sound as he slept.

Off to one side Whenua was sitting alone looking down at something on the ground

Mic blinked to wake up more and turned her head to spot Whenua, while managing not to disturb the Hordika she lay against. "Whatcha doing?" she asked quietly.

The Hordika looked up, "Nat'ki?" he asked tilting his head, blinked his inner lids before humming and pointing a claw to the translation stone that now resting on a string or strip of hide on a light-stone, it had fallen away from Mic at some point.

The human mumbled to herself and reached out to pick the stone up. She stuffed if under her shirt so that it was in contact with her body. She looked back to Whenua with a small smile. "I wanted to know what you were doing."

"Just reading," Whenua said as he nodded down to a large data pad in front of his forepaws. "Feel better now?"

She nodded, rubbing her right eye, "Uhh... uh huh. Oh gosh mom and dad are gonna kill me when I get home..." she shook her head. "How long have we been in... here?" Mic looked around the room again.

"It should be about day," Whenua guessed, humming and shifting so Mic could come over if she wanted to, "But the days here, from sunset to the next seem longer than at your world."

Carefully easing herself away from the snoozing Vakama, the human crawled over to the huge Hordika, though he was not as huge as when he was standing. "So what're you reading?" Mic asked, glancing at the data pad.

"Mostly inventory reports and old news." The earth giant admitted, "Just brushing up to kill time, and a little research on a few things."

"Wish I had brought something to read," Mic muttered, her hand moving under her shawl and into her pocket, pulling the cell phone out, the only thing she had with her from home. "Something tells me this won't be of much help," she remarked, randomly pushing buttons.

The Toa leaned over to peer down at the thing in interest, "What is it?"

"A cell phone. We use it to talk to each other over long distances," Mic explained. She frowned at it. "But it won't reach my parents from here... and that was the whole idea of owning one in the first place."

"I'm sorry." Whenua said, lowering his head, "We... I didn't mean to bring you here."

"I know," Mic said, trying to sound encouraging. "What with that freakazoid and the Rahkshi, I think you... did the right thing. People say things happen for a reason, y'know." she ended with a sigh, knowing this wasn't going to make her miss home any less.

"You know of the Rahkshi as well?" Whenua asked, surprised, he hummed before rubbing his head against Mic, "Not all are that big. I think those were what the old stories called 'kings,' very old Makuta sons..." he trailed off, thinking.

Mic mentally froze, her eyes widened for a moment at her own little slip up, before she quickly answered, "Vakama told me about them," hoping that would suit well with Whenua. And now that she thought about it, those Rahkshi had been bigger than she had ever expected one to really be. The thought that those monsters were in her neighborhood made the human fear for the people there, including her family and life-long friends.

And all this had happened in, what, three or four days?

"He told me about your world," Whenua said with amusement as he rested one large paw-like hand on the girl's head, "And what we are in it. Don't worry so much, your destiny seems to be here for now."

Once again she made herself look... stupid. 'Darn Vakama... thought he said he wouldn't be telling Whenua.' "It's funny. The fans would go nuts to be here..." Mic played with a strand of her messy hair. "...we never realized exactly HOW dangerous it really is, though."

"There's danger in any magna," Whenua said with a deep sigh, "But this isn't supposed to be how Metru Nui is..."

Mic thought to herself for awhile, momentarily glancing at the red Hordika, before asking, "Could you... tell me about it? Before all this?"

"...I can about Onu-Metru best," The Hordika said as he shifted and laid down, curling up partly around Mic, smiling in that Hordika way.

The human smiled as well. "That's fine with me." She made a note to herself not to ask him any certain questions, like with Vakama being in love with Nokama. Though it would be funny to see Whenua's reaction to a question like that...

Yet, there was something that hinted that Whenua would be amused by her questions. For now he spoke of the sprawling underground Metru, from the Rahi storage- most of all empty at the moment- to the living memories...?

"What do you mean when you say 'living memories?'" the girl asked, not quite sure if she was understanding it right.

"Well, just that," The mutated Toa said, "Some of the Rahi and other things in storage, only those are in more secure areas. Are memories for the Great Spirit."

It clicked in her head: memories... great spirit... Mata Nui's body. "That's amazing," she said, awed. The books didn't really go into detail on that part of the archives. If they had she had forgotten.

"It is really," Whenua smiled, humming and then his humm took a different pitch, more embarrassed "There is a side effect or two though..."

"What's the side effect?" Mic asked.

"Sometimes the 'memory's own memories are...fuzzed, or lost." The Hordika shook his head, before lowering, "Kind of glad I wasn't in the living archive sections long ago."

"Oh," Mic nodded slowly, thinking about his answer. She cringed when an ache formed in her stomach, demanding for food, and it made a barely audible noise to alert her further. Mic gave a sheepish look.

"That red-ish container over there," The mutated Toa said pointing with his tail tip to the side at several containers that had been dragged in, "The blue containers are water...I'd offer my cup but I can't get into my sup-space pocket anymore."

"It's alright," Mic began to move to the containers, suddenly realizing how long she had gone without nourishing herself. Once finding the water she used her hands as a cup to bring the liquid to her mouth. She had been drinking for awhile before glancing at the red-ish container and poking inside to see what it held.

"It's mostly Ta-Metru made jerky," Whenua paused and came over, standing up to reach for another container, this one black and a little smaller. "Now that I think about it, it might be too spicy. This is Onu-Matoran made and has some dried fruit too."

Mic went with the Onu-made food to be safe, though she had a liking for spice, the Ta jerky could be much hotter than she could stand. She ate as she thought to herself about her situation, and the talk she had had with Whenua. 'Even he said my "destiny" is here for now. Huh... Whenua's words of wisdom,' she smirked slightly and glanced at the two Hordika in the room, specifically Vakama who seemed to still be asleep.

"It's day so he's going to be out for a while," The black colored Toa said chuckling, "It's why we stopped here."

Mic laughed softly, remembering the red Hordika after his first night in her home... and how long he was out. The cell phone incident would never leave her mind...

"Where are we, Whenua?" the girl asked, looking around again.

"About five levels down somewhere under the edge of Po-Metru." Whenua judged after a thoughtful moment. "You slept a long while, mostly because you took a full powered spinner."

Mic bit her lip, thinking. "I don't even remember going to sleep," she muttered before taking another bite of the dried fruit-tasting food.

"That's okay," Whenua assured, rubbing the side of his head carefully on Mic's back, "Probably your body just went to sleep and your mind too to protect it. The spinner would have a different or stronger effect on you I think."

"Of course," The human let out a breath before turning to the black Hordika. "I'm sorry for being more... defenseless. I know that must make it harder as we travel."

"Not at all," Whenua hummed, "We're Toa, and Toa protect no matter their shape." He lifted his large wedged shaped head and took on a slightly regale and proud look.

"Wish we had Toa back home," Mic said, thinking to herself. "We could really use beings like you... our world's always in conflict it seems."

The Toa rumbled softly as he started to poke around the shelves and cubbies in the wall. "Here," He said and pulled down something, opening the container and nudging out a set of stones, "Want to play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Mic asked, interested as she picked up a stone.

Each stone had two colors, black on one side and blue on the other. The Hordika shuffled them around until they were grouped together and one stone deep. "We pick a color and have to skip the stones to flip the colors of whatever stone is in the middle. We do that until we can't anymore, the one with the most of their color wins."

"Okay," Mic nodded. She chose blue, leaving Whenua with black, ready to start the game. She had a feeling they would be in this room for awhile.


	15. Chapter 15

Hordika Under the Bed

Mic felt slightly excited, and maybe even a little nervous. It was later on in the day, though she couldn't tell since the underground never showed a person the sky. The only way she had found out was thanks to Whenua and the fact that Vakama finally woke up. Thus meaning it was probably late afternoon in her mind. Metru Nui's daytime was different than home.

The Hordika and human were getting ready to leave the room and venture further into the archives, to find the Onu-Metru Suva and the other Toa Hordika. That was exciting. Traveling through the dark underground was... slightly different. 

Whenua's eyes were wide open and he was not only in the lead but near constantly scenting. "Remember, stay beside one of us." he said, tail twitching.

"Not between," Vakama added as he further explained, "It's too vulnerable, beside your more shielded." 

"M'kay," Mic nodded, doing as they said. "How much longer will it take until we get to the Suva from here?" 

"Not too much longer I don't think." Vakama guessed, humming at his brother and getting a nod in return, "Some time tonight." 

"Good," The human's eyes darted around as they went, though she really couldn't see all that much unless there were a good amount of lightstones. "What are the other Hordika like?" She probably had a good idea, but the books and movies had obviously cut some things out about hordika, and maybe even the other Toa. 

"Like?" The fire Toa blinked, "Well, Onewa is about Whenua's size."

"He's the best tracker of us," Whenua added, chuckling, looking at the human beside him, "That game we played, Nuju's better at it." 

"Figures," Mic stubbed her toe on a random rock, the human muttering 'crap' to herself. She hated not being able to see very well in the dark, but that came with being a human. She then asked, "What about Matau and Nokama?" 

The earth elemental shifted closer, letting Mic grab onto his broad shoulder for support. "Matau's had a lot more venom in him, like Vakama." he looked back apologetically. 

Mic hopped for a moment, banging her shoe's toe in hopes to get rid of the small pain. She glanced back at Vakama before saying, "Does the venom... I dunno, cause your system to have bad side effects?"

Venom wasn't really a preferred topic of hers, but she just wanted to make conversation while walking in the dark. 

"Well, there's this," Vakama rose up onto his back legs, spreading his arms out, "There's also a mental component. Gaaki said its old instincts. Supposedly there's an actually organic Hordika on Metru Nui..." 

An organic hordika?

"Huh." Nothing ever mentioned that. Mic seemed to have run out of things to ask them at the moment.

Mindful to keep their stride short to match the human's, the two Hordika didn't mind the quite, for a little while at least. After a while the two started talking, mostly about what happened to Vakama after he'd been separated from the other Toa, and trying to find out how they got to the human world and back.

"I think we should take a break." Whenua said slowing down and looking at Mic, "And get a small light-stone?"

"That would be helpful," she agreed. Though she knew there were two Hordika with her, it would be nice to actually see them, than just their outlines and eyes. And maybe she could relieve her bladder as well.

"There's a closed archive room to the right," Whenua offered, stopping and looking down the passage off to their side, "I can take a nap and Vakama can hunt."

"Sounds good," Mic shrugged, and followed Whenua through the dark. Yeah, that lightstone would really come in handy.

"Here," The big Hordika said as he stopped at a door nudged a glowing panel with his muzzle to get it to activate, "Come bring you're littler hands over here Mic. Claws don't work well with holo-pads."

The human stepped up and reached out to the glowing panel. After a moment the door unlocked and opened to reveal the room inside like Whenua had said. It was brighter inside, like an office building or school only softer light, and a bit warmer too. The room inside was huge, filled with shelves in the first half and tubes of sorts in the back half.

Mic walked inward, looking at the new room with interest. Of course she was glad to find several lighstones, thus the brighter light, but she found her gaze on the tubes toward the back. Mic glanced back to the Hordika coming in. "What's this room used for?"

"Rahi study," Vakama guessed, pacing in and started to poking around.

"Sort of," Whenua corrected as he closed the door, waiting until it locked, "I didn't work in this section. There should be a clean water system over there." He added helpfully.

Mic found the water and drank before easing her way toward the back for privacy. She was mostly done with her business, about to join the Hordika up front, before catching a faint reflection of herself in a tube's surface. She made a face. "...ew."

She turned and went to see what the hordika were doing up front.

The mutated earth Toa was settling down, yawning as he curled up against the wall. Watching Vakama attempting to get into trouble but unable to open the side doors to smaller rooms.

"I should go hunting," The fire elemental said coming back over, "Or find another food storage area..."

Looking up from touching one of the shelves curiously, Mic asked the red Hordika, "Can I help?"

"Yeah, if Whenua gives us the codes," Vakama huffed, and then again as a data pad was offered to Mic.

"It's a color code here," Whenua chuckled, "Just try any of those, I'm going to nap now."

While the earth Hordika settled for his nap, the human put her mind to the color codes on the data pad. It somehow reminded her of one of those games that could be played online. It wasn't too long before she had it figured and the side doors unlocked.

"You take those doors, I'll go here." Vakama said after staring at the pad, but let Mic keep them, and then he licked her, "There won't be any Visorak, but if you need help just yell okay?"

"I will," Mic smiled, before heading into the side room. There were less lightstones, but she was able to see. She started looking around, noting the set of shelves in the corner and searching there. She also wondered if there were any other ways out through the room or not.

Mic found a container covered in dust and blew on it before looking inside, but found nothing... but a little bug-like Rahi. "Ugh, nothing," she quickly shut it.

It was probably about twenty minutes or so, with only an assortment of cool things but no food containers. Then...there was a _noise,_ not a Hordika noise either, it was more feline and deeper or bigger than the Hordika sounds.

Whirling her head, Mic scanned the room, already more alert than before. "Okay, get a grip... probably another Tiger or something," she muttered to herself, yet her face was uncertain. Should she... call for Vakama?

Then again Whenua had said there were those cats here in Onu-Metru to help protect the archives from those rat-like rahi. Only this sounded different then that Po- tiger's trill, it almost had a sicky sound to it.

Mic stood up from kneeling amongst a broken container, eyes fixed on the darker areas of the room, looking all about. That was NOT very friendly sounding, at all. The human glanced over and saw the doors, still cracked open. She began to slowly ease herself in their direction, unknowingly on the verge of shaking again.

Something growled, coughed, whined and coughed again before a shape came out of the darkness, or rather around and out from under a shelving ar. Somewhat feliniond in shape, but as big as a horse and looking a bit...well, gawky. White and blue eyes glowed dimly in the lit room, blinking at the human as it limped. The head was defiantly feline in shape, and had the start of tusks forming.

Mic's mouth dropped open, recognizing the Rahi from the movie and images on different sites. "A Muaka..." she breathed. Taking another good look at it, she could tell that something must be wrong with it... but it was a Muaka. Weren't those beasts supposed to be... unfriendly? 'That's what the fanfics always say,' she thought. Just to be safe, she kept making her way toward the doors.

It rumbled, fallowing after her with it's eyes, but there was also no aggression about it. Behind the Rahi there were signs of a nest of sort, a nest that the Rahi backed back up to and curled up in. Doing so Mic had a glimpse of claws marks on its back, a fight with another bigger Rahi, probably another, bigger Muaka for this one didn't look old at all.

Mic hummed, feeling sympathy for it despite her slight uncertainty. The human kept her eyes on it before turning and walking to the doors, prepared to find Vakama or even Whenua once in the other room and tell them about the wounded Rahi... perhaps something could be done to help it.

A deeper growl echoed out of sight, somewhere ahead and to one side of the human, the kind of growl that said 'hide!' on every instinctual level.

"Um..." Mic did a quick turn-about, trying to spy the source of the deeper growl. 'What the heck's going on...?'

A soft hiss for attention came from her left, and there was something hunched and low in the darken room, urging her to hurry across the hall and duck in.

Picking up the note this time, Mic darted forward and through the opening, stumbling and scraping her hands while catching herself. The human sprang back up and whirled to see what would happen next.

Large, strong hands caught the human up, one hand going over her mouth before Mic could realize the hand wasn't like the somewhat paw-shaped hand of a hordika. She was held up against a broad chest and whoever crouched low over her, as something even bigger walked by the open doorway.

Vakama had said to yell if she needed him. In this case she began to scream, even though the sounds were muffles, and kick and thrash against the being, knowing it wasn't one of the hordika.

It, or he, hissed darkly, holding her down and against him as a full sized, adult Muaka tiger walked past. It paused, sniffing and glancing around. It growled low and deep, but it was that this thing was _massive_ and... and had a large huck of purple tinted meat in its jaws, behind tusks that were as large as Mic's arm.

Whoever had her, was trying to protect Mic from the mother-rahi returning to its cub.

Mic had her hands gripping the larger one around her mouth trying to tear herself free, but had stopped when the Muaka went by. That still didn't explain this being scaring her out of her mind. Mic's wide eyes darted around. Where were the hordika?

As the Rahi left, the person holding Mic backed up and turned, lifting her up completely before seeming to run the other way the rahi had gone. In doing so, the human had a clear view of the large, wedged shaped head that was different then the mutated Toa, and the glimps of the spines.

"Mmphhh!" New fear spiked and Mic started to scream again, thrashing harder than before. Only one creature hissed and had spines like that. '_Oh lord above, it's a Rahkshi!_' The Rahkshi gave a soft snarl at her, grip tightening on the human and it's pace didn't slow down. In fact once into a hallway it sped up, no longer having to be quite.

"VAKAMA!" Mic screamed, or tried to at least, the result sounding much different against the Rahkshi's hand. She was being kidnapped by a freaking Rahkshi! Rahkshi were the sons of Makuta!

That must mean...

"Omhgoahnuuuu!" Translate: Oh god no. This was _NOT_ good. At all.

It stopped, pretty much dumping the human on the floor in front of it. Apparently unhappy at her struggles, the green armored creature essentially loom over her.

Mic flipped over and backed up on the ground... suddenly realizing her mouth was no longer covered, so nothing was there to keep her from...

"VAKAMAAA!"

...screaming.

The Rahkshi growled, stepping over and reaching for Mic... and then it wasn't there. A clash of metal on metal and the monster was sent crashing into wall of the room they were in, hard enough that the creature inside was knocked out.

The girl had clasped her hands against her head during this, watching in awed fear. She took her hands down and sucked in a shaky breath, turning to see who had sent the creature flying. To her dismay, it wasn't a Hordika. It was another Rahkshi, but this one... it was different in not only being twice as big but... it looked more bio-mechanical. Not a purely mechanical shell like the other, it had black armor and slightly more up-right than the fist.

Rumbling, the big Rahkshi snorted and kicked the smaller shell, making the relatively little krata squeal in protest. It's movement were calm as it turned back to Mic.

She backed up, scrambling to her feet before stammering, "Wh-What the heck is this? Who are y-you, and what's goin on!" she ended the question with a slight shriek, staring at the black being.

"Not, loud." The big black Rahkshi lifted a finger at Mic and then turned the finger around in the 'come with' motion. Shifting the weight of whatever weapon he had gripped in his right hand.

The human stared warily before stepping forward, obviously untrusting him, she asked in a slightly calm voice, "Why should I trust you? That one just kidnapped me for crying out loud,"

"Is young," It said and moved over and nudged Mic, pushing her slightly, "Up, Mother wishes you."

Mic blinked, "Mother? Wha?" Nevertheless after a long moment of thought she sighed heavily. "Fine... whatever. Take me to her."

The big Rahkshi rumbled and motioned the direction he wanted her to go, "Mother Makuta." he added.

A nervous, shocked squeak came from her mouth and for a moment she stood rooted to the spot. Thinking over the odds, she realized the Rahkshi could very well force her into meeting 'Momma Makuta', so she sighed again and gathered what was left of her courage, walking in the direction given to her.


	16. Chapter 16

Hordika Under the Bed

The Rahkshi had led Mic down another two levels, out of the secure area and into another. There were other, smaller Rahkshi that had been glimpsed, but mostly standing off to the side, quiet and probably guards. Only two others were the same as her escort, and they were at the end of the trip, one green one sitting and 'playing' by creating assorted plant shoots. The other was brown and a bit bigger, more the size of the black one, and it was sound asleep.

"Mother's there." Her escort said, reaching out to push at a wall that turned out into a door. It opened it enough for Mic to slip inside.

Cautiously, she entered, getting a bad feeling that she already knew who this 'Mother' might be. And there was that nagging thought in the back of her mind about what had happened moments before Whenua had grabbed them and jumped in. If it wasn't for that female then she wouldn't be here.

Mic looked up to see the Mother the Rahkshi spoke of.

The room was lit by red-light mostly, a few yellow tubes that were the Rahi-storage units on the edges of the place. It was more like some great hall, cleared of most everything so that the three Visorak that where in the room were visible, and the fact that they were chained down.

There was a being there, towering, bigger than a Toa for sure and at the moment standing in the middle of the room. In the general shape of a Vortixx, like what Roodaka was, only... different. She had long tail with a wicked looking white and red stinger, the same spine like stingers were like of 'hair' design of sorts.

Mic glanced to the Visorak and then back to the being. It didn't make sense for a Makuta to chain the Visorak when the hordes were helping Teridax... what was the deal? Why did this person want to see her?

And who _was_ this person?

"Well?" The Makuta asked turning to face the human, in doing so bringing her staff into sight, a staff that had two krana attached to it and apparently still alive for they wiggled a little, "Come, come, get over your shock human."

Mic inwardly grimaced at the staff as she fingered her dirt-smudged shawl. She eyed the huge female warily. "Who are you?"

"I am the Makuta Rokanu," The being said, nudging one of the Visorak and growled at it, "And you, we will talk again." The spider-like creature shrank down as another free spider came out of the darkness, scuttling over. Rokanu waited a moment and then used the big monster as a seat, crossing one leg over and resting her staff on her lap. "Now we can talk."

"Good... maybe you tell me why did your Rahkshi kidnapped me. And what about my friends? What did you do to them?" Mic responded with a glare.

"Friends?" The Makuta tilted her head, "Ah, the Toa Metru. I haven't done anything to them, other than help."

"Where are they?" Mic demanded, not trusting a Makuta to really do anything along the lines of 'help' toward Toa.

"Exactly where they were before," The female Makuta snorted, "Child, you may know much of our world, in a way," Rokanu leaned forward a little, fixing her orange eyes on the human, "But not all Makuta have betrayed our brother Mata Nui."

The human didn't understand what she meant by 'where they were before' but the Makuta's words had her interested. Still... "Then what was with the whole encounter back in my world? If it weren't for that I wouldn't be in this world... and why are you telling me this anyway?"

"Because, for whatever reason Mata Nui has chosen," The shadowed one lifted a hand and waved it a little, "You are tied to the hordika. Probably the reason why he wanted me to open the pathway between worlds. Kritu, no cuddling the human you'll frighten her." She added shifting her attention to the Rahkshi that had quietly come up behind Mic.

It gave a little whine and moved around Mic to but rested its head against its mother's legs, purring madly as Rokanu smooth a hand over its head and neck.

"You did it?" Mic asked, lifting an eyebrow as she watched Kritu with its mother. The bigger impact of the female Makuta's words suddenly came to her. Strange, hadn't Whenua said something about her destiny being here for now? Thinking back to the meeting in her backyard that night, it could have very well happened to some other human that night. Yet it happened to her.

"So... that was all an act? To get me to come here?"

"To get Vakama away," Rokanu corrected lifting a finger, "From Roodaka and Sidorak. To clear his mind of their influence is why I sent him there. That was the reason I was told to do so. There was no 'act' in the meaning of the word."

The human crossed her arms, taking in the information. She still didn't see why she had had to come. "Okay... anything else you might wanna tell me?" Mic was anxious to get back to the hordika.

"Keep the hordika, or rather Vakama's mind clear." The Makuta said leaning forward and lifted a finger again, "One thing can make all the difference, one choice or experience can make any thinking mind take a different choice than they would have. You are that choice in this case child, _you_ are affecting those around you as much as they _will_ affect you. Do you understand?"

"I... do. Yes." Mic answered. The Makuta seemed right in this case; if Vakama hadn't met her he wouldn't have witnessed what he had become in the movie. "Speaking of Vakama... can I return to them now?"

"Kokie!" Rokanu bellowed over her shoulder, waiting the few moments as it took for another door in the back to open and a form to lope in.

"Yes Makuta?" He asked, the white and silver body looking to be a hybrid of Rahkshi and Toa.

"Take the human back to the hordika," The shadowed one ordered, motioning to Mic, "Do not be seen though and..." Rokanu then crocked her finger in a 'come here' movement to Mic.

The human walked forward as asked, or told rather, looking to Rokanu expectantly, after glancing at Kokie. He gave a small wave, smiling in an encouraging way.

Nudging the green Rahkshi away from her and handing it her staff, the Makuta rose and then knelt down, "I need you to pass a message to the Rahaga for me." She dipped into subspace and held out a rounded disk, looking like a Kanoka disk only being bronze in color.

"What is it?" Mic asked, reaching out and touching the edge of the disk. She still had to figure out how these people could pull objects out of nowhere, but wasn't concerned with that at the moment.

"It's not a Kanoka disk, but a panel. It will help both the Rahaga and the Toa Metru find Keetongo." Rokanu nodded to the Toa beside them, "Kokie and his sister took it from Roodaka."

Keetongu! How in the world had she managed to forget about the Rahi that would cure the Toa? Mic took the panel in her hands and nodded. "Sure. That'll be a help to them." Though it was beyond her how Kokie and his sister-there were more?-had been able to take anything from Roodaka.

"You may go now." Rokanu said as she stood reaching for her staff, stroking the krana on it before starting for the chained Visorak. The Rahkshi and free Visorak fallowing after her as the Toa hybrid clasped Mic's shoulders and started to gently guide her away.

"Wait," Mic twisted and faced the Makuta. "That pathway you made, can it take me home again?"

Rokanu glanced back, "I will need to speak with the Order. I do not know yet child, either way I- or one of my sons shall let you know."

'I might be stuck here?' Mic thought in disbelief, getting a knot in her stomach before turning back to Kokie.

"It's okay," He said in a light male voice, "Come little one, you don't want to be here when the Makuta starts the next interrogation." Kokie added as he pushed the human ahead of him to the first door, his touch wasn't warm like Vakama or Whenua, but cool, almost cold.

In response to the colder touch Mic rearranged her shawl. After a few moments she glanced to her guide. "Where are the hordika exactly? They weren't there when I left."

"Acutely, they are," Kokie smiled, "You were heading to another part of that storage area that was just as big. Onu-Matoran like to keep things even."

"I had no clue," Mic said, confused. Then how come the hordika hadn't sensed the Rahkshi...? She shook her head, just glad that she was going back to them.

"This way, I'll have you back before they miss you." Kokie promised, waving to the three biggest Rahkshi, "Did you met the boys?"

"Uhh... kinda," Mic replied, glancing at the large creatures.

"Rahkshi kings," Kokie explained, "The big black one is Root, the sleeping brown one is Keto and the bored green one making planets is Leshi."

"Oh," the human stared at them all a moment longer before turning her attention back to getting back to the hordika. A few more moments passed before the human asked, "Um, don't take this the wrong way but... what are you?"

"I am Toa." He grinned as he pushed Mic again, "Of ice, but," he held out his hands, "As you can see I was mutated. Not Visorak Venom though, something else happened."

"Then what did it?" asked Mic. She did not recall anything else that could mutate other than the visorak venom.

"Something that's not here," Kokie said with a chuckle, "You shouldn't worry about it, but it's why I and my sister are looking for Keetongu as well."

"Then why not search with the Toa Metru and Rahaga? Won't that be easier?" the human asked.

"I and my sister, along with the Rahkshi kings are the Makuta's personal guard, we can't." Kokie shook his head, "Our duty is to protect her as she attempts to take over the Visorak horde."

"Oh... that makes sense." She sighed. "Hope you're successful. How much farther?"

"Just a few minutes' walk," The Toa smiled again, "I'll take you to one of the food storage areas and then you can take credit. But be careful with telling the Toa that you met a Makuta. The Brotherhood isn't in good graces right now."

"Thank you. And I'll try to keep it calm," Mic smiled back.

Kokie reached out and 'swiped' his hand over her head, from forehead to the back in a way that was like how humans ruffled other's hair. "Good girl! Here's your secure area." he added stopping at a door and poked the code in to open it.

Mic grinned slightly as the door opened, showing a vaguely lit room with food containers and the sort. She would have no trouble with 'bringing home the bacon' thanks to Kokie. The human picked up and checked inside a few containers before looking back to the Toa. "'Kay, so can you take me to the hordika now?"

"You can do that yourself," Kokie grinned back, "Just yell for them, and the Metru will come running!" With that, and a small bow, the hybrid Toa backed up and fled, the door locking behind him.

"Um, bye," Mic blinked, standing there stupidly. She shrugged it off, deciding that she didn't like being left alone in the Archives anymore. Pulling the panel out she looked at it with a small sigh before actually calling out, "Vakama? Vakama!" Mindful to keep her voice sounding like she was looking for the Hordika, and not in danger.

The human aimlessly walked around as she waited, still staring at the panel the Makuta wanted her to deliver to the Rahaga. The room was somewhat dark with very little light, so it was no surprise when she bumped/slammed into one of the shelves, letting out a yelp.

There was a creaking sound from what she had run into, it looked like a kind or step ladder...and old. But after a moment the creaking stopped, however a box was on the ladder-thing's own shelf for placing things on, the box had been taken down. Now it looked about to fall off.

Mic rubbed her throbbing head. "That's gonna leave a mark..." She looked up just in time to see the box... falling on a course for her already hurting head, along with whatever was inside.

There was, of course a nice loud crash, disks like things that were in fact actual Kanoka ringing as they fell out and bounced on the ground. One disk though only bounced once, making a pulse of energy before landing, almost like some one hand pushed it (like the authors) right into Mic's lap. Still humming with power before it... pulsed... that energy seeping into Mic's body.

Only having a few seconds to cover her head before the crash, when she reopened her eyes it was to see and _feel_ the energy seep into her body. Reflexively giving a startled yell she shoved the disk away, but not quick enough. The disk's energy was taking effect as a nauseating feeling settled in her stomach, very much like the feeling of going downhill on a rollercoaster. "Wh-What the...?"

That Kahnoka disk, with white markings, seemed to melt, backing up and altering from matter to energy. It would have been fascinated to watch how the disks worked of course, only it happened too fast, almost a moment before a tingling than numbing feeling spread out through the human's body and the world fuzzed.

The first thing she realized was how much cooler the air had suddenly become, as Mic's vision started to clear from the temporary blacking out. She shivered and rolled over onto her hands and knees after a moment, coming face to face with... cloth?

"Whaaaaat?" she slurred, blinking and shaking her head, that cloth looked very familiar... in fact she was wearing something just like... Mic looked at herself and froze. Snapping her head up she squeaked at how high the ceiling and walls of the room had become, '_Not good... soo not good._'

"Mic?" A male voice ask- Vakama's voice! The hordika gave a soft growl as he prowled in through this storeroom's doorway, looking around and sniffing. "What did you do? Where are you?" The Toa asked coming in, but since the door was on the other side of the room he didn't see Mic right away, but he did start sniffing, frowning at the crisp smell of an active Kanoka disk.

Mic's eyes widened and she quickly located her Te shirt-how it had come off with everything else she didn't know. Waiting to answer Vakama, she slipped the larger garment over her head. The result was that it now seemed more like a baggy dress than a shirt, but it covered her well despite the sudden cold. She turned to locate Vakama. "Um... here."

"'Here?'" Vakama grumbled at the unhelpfulness of that single word. He fallow more by scent and turned around a corner, pausing mid-pace as he took in the mess, and then his red and orange eyes fixed on Mic.

Now the size of a very small human toddler, Mic looked back at him as she breathed heavily, body trying to create natural heat in response to what had happen. The events earlier with the Rahkshi and the Makuta came to mind, but combined with the previous experience Mic was still slightly shocked at her situation and could only make a nervous sound as an answer to him.

Slowly, wary, the mutated Bionicle started to move. Not exactly that prowling gate Vakama normally had, yet there were hints of that in his movements as the Toa came closer. Everything about him had yelled 'predator!' before, more sore in their first meeting... but now...

Realizing how _huge_ the hordika was now, Mic trembled and backed away. The seemingly giant hordika now seemed much more scarier and very much like a predator. Why did these things happen to her...?

The still predatory gaze was taking in more details, not just the new size of the human but the now scattered disks. Then Vakama gave a sigh as he looked upwards, not really rolling his eyes, more like a show of exasperation and call for something, "A shrinking Kanoka... wonderful... I hate those things."

"H-How l... long does the effect l-last?" Mic asked weakly, hugging herself and glancing at the rest of her too-big clothing then at herself before easing down onto her knees.

"Depends on the power of the disk," Vakama was very carefully nudging Kanoka disks aside with his claws (holy- those were big!) as he moved towards Mic. "But..." He paused, lowing himself some to put his head down level with the human.

It took a great amount of effort to tear her gaze off the Hordika (or rather his claws, teeth and fangs) and look down to see that she was sitting on the panel. The Rahkshi and Makuta came back to her and she inwardly moaned. It wasn't turning out to be a good day.

"...I don't know how a Kanoka disk affects a pure organic." Vakama finished, and apparently he still had that hordika lack of personal space.

Mic looked up at the hordika, something of wonder in her face that clashed with some nervous fear. Vakama's details, head, limbs, _teeth_ and _claws_, everything... were nearly four times the size then before. "You're huge!" she blurted.

"You're tiny." Vakama countered, sniffing a closer leg before tilting his head to look at Mic with one eye.

She debated before standing, leaving the panel in full view, and began to scoop up her remaining clothes, which were more like the size of large blankets. Vakama tilted his head, watching and carefully moving aside as he waited for the human. He seemed to be debating something as well.

Mic had figured out a better way to carry her shoes by rolling them inside her jeans and then rolling that inside the shawl. She picked up the panel, thinking to try and explain about it and where it came from.

The hordika didn't seem to really take note of the panel, more occupied with the now much smaller human and not stepping on any more disks. Half dragging half rolling her bundle, having no intentions of leaving it for whenever she'd grow back to normal, Mic made her way toward Vakama before running back and picking up the panel and bringing that too. "This is for the Rahaga."

Vakama blinked, "Okay...we should meet up with them soon." he said, not questioning at least for now, "Sorry about this." The Toa added stepping closer.

"Sorry?" Mic said looking up from staring at the panel and her 'luggage.'

Vakama moved too quick, so the now smaller human was in the Hordika's jaws and lifted up before she could realize what was happening. He was turning and walking back to the door, intending on coming back for Mic's things but for now could only think of getting her to the safest place. With Whenua.

Giving a yelp, flailed her arms before deciding that hanging limp would be better a better idea. Shaking, knowing he could easily crush her or even eat for that matter, Mic flailed, twisted her head to try and see where they were going, and wondering how far Whenua was. Vakama growled softly around Mic, making that grumbling sound as he did so. He didn't like her moving and kept wincing.

Being able to clearly hear his growl, she stopped moving for the most part, shivering once in awhile.

The hordika was being very careful, and seemed to be moving slower than normal...

If she weren't hanging from hordika jaws at the movement, Mic probably would have enjoyed the ride more.

A sort of sick feeling had been in the pit of her stomach since the shrinking, and was accompanied by a headache. Mic evened out her breathing to try and help soothe the sickly feeling, momentarily glad that she had tied the translation stone around her neck some time ago. Otherwise there would have been some communication problems just a few minutes ago.

The Hordika gave another low, now vibrating growl, his inner lids closing as if that would help deny what was happening as Vakama stepped out into that first room. Then, slowly as he walked, he grip shifted a little and he became more relaxed. It was his instincts really, saving Vakama's Toa-mind as it related carrying Mic to like carrying a cub.

The tiny human was half aware of this, the bigger part of her attention focused on the nausea growing in her stomach, like it was finally realizing it had taken a downsize. Mic had a feeling she might heave, but tried to control it till Vakama had set her down again.

Vakama paused, tilted his slightly before stepping to the side and lowering his head. Opening his jaws, Mic would fall a little and into the hollow created between Whenua's forelegs and neck, "Err... stay here with Whenua okay?"

Mic nodded quickly, afraid to open her mouth. She scrambled over Whenua's forelegs and had the decency to heave away from the black Hordika before shakily returning to the small hollow and collapsing on her rear. "Okay," she finally answered.

"I'll get your stuff." Vakama ducked his head and then darted away as if afraid of something.

Mic glanced up as she watched him go, wondering what there was to be afraid of... well, lots in reality, but she didn't want to think about that at the moment. Especially since she was so small and even _more_ defenseless, the human leaned against one of Whenua's forelegs, waiting for Vakama to return.

After a few quite moments, the big (more massive) black and grey striped hordika opened his eyes. "...hmm?"

The voice sounding lower and deeper than before, Mic turned her eyes onto him as she got to her feet. Holy slag, he was gigantic. "W-Whenua? It's me..." _'Shorty_.'

The earth elemental lifted his head and blinked his eyes open. Then he was completely awake, "Mic?" he asked, shifted and lifting one foreleg for better look.

She scoffed slightly, shifting her weight, the baggy piece of clothing much too large for her, "Unfortunately. I uh, had an accident with a kanoka disk,"

Shifting so the now smaller human was more cradled between Whenua's forelegs and he had to arch his neck up to see her. "So it seems, shrinking disk?"

The reply was an unenthusiastic "Yes," with a frown. "Thought that room was for food storage, wasn't expectin' the disks..."

"Onewa got hit by something like that, but a spinner," Whenua chuckled before he touched his muzzle against Mic, "He was cub sized too for a few weeks"

Mic smiled. Now if only that were in the books! She unconsciously leaned into the Hordika's touch before saying, "Something else kinda happen before I shrunk... I just don't want you guys to, um freak out or anything." Though Whenua freaking out didn't seem very likely at all...

"I'll try not to." Whenua assured with a smile before the hordika gave Mic a lick on her cheek.

"Well... I got taken, er, escorted by Rahski to a female Makuta, but she's a good Makuta," Mic added quickly. "She wanted me to take something to the Rahaga, which Vakama's gonna bring back anytime now. They said it had to do with finding Keetongu."

"A...female Makuta?" The hordika asked, shifting but controlling his reaction to the word 'Makuta.' His tail tip was twitching and spazeming though.

"Her name was Rokanu," Mic said, not really having that great a view of his tail, wondering if he was hiding a reaction. "She's the one we saw back home, my home," the human corrected.

"Rokanu..." Whenua frowned a little, "I think...I heard that name before."

Mic glanced around the room, remembering the Muaka cub and mother as well as she wondered if Vakama was on his way back yet or not. "I know I haven't," she mumbled.

"Maybe the Rahaga will know more," Whenua offered as he moved, curling his tail up and around as well as lowing his head and neck, so Mic was essentially cradled against the Hordika again.

Mic smiled at the action, not minding in the slightest. It actually gave her a sense of safety. The shrunken human raised her head to try and get a better view of the entrance, a bit anxious for Vakama to come back. Plus he had her stuff.

"He'll be back," Whenua said, understanding her restlessness, "I can smell him."

Mic 'hmm'ed with a small sheepish smile, leaning back against Whenua. "Good."

The hordika shifted to, with an amazing show of self control, rub the side of his head against Mic. Starting up another deep, vibrating purr as a tall, dark red form that was Vakama came in, walking more up right. Proving that the Hordika still could do that.

Mic's eyes opened all the way, having slightly closed them slightly due to exhaustion beginning to catch up, and she smiled gladly at Vakama. She was also reminded how much TALLER he was when walking like this. '_Wowwww..._'

But then, The Toa were 'supposed' to be between 7 and 9 feet tall. Kokie had been about 7... Right now Vakama was trying to set the things in his arms down and not drop anything. He did and took the panel Mic had been given out of his jaws, setting it on the pile of her things before opening one of the food containers.

"Go ahead Whenua, I'll grab another and we can get water on the way out after a good nap." Vakama looked down at Mic, "Getting hit with Konoka disks takes energy out of you so don't worry about going to sleep."

Thankful that she had an all clear, Mic walked over to her large bundle first to double check and make sure her phone was still in the pocket of her jeans as the hordika moved in for the food container. Settled with her shoulders and head against the bundle, Mic sighed and let herself relax while watching the hordika.

Whenua sat up and pulled the container closer, pulling out several packets and pushing them over to the Mic, "Here, you should eat while you can." Coming forward a bit and sitting on her knees she took the advice and opened a packet and eat the food inside, mentally thanking Kokie for taking her to the food room.


	17. Chapter 17

Hordika Under the Bed

It was all Whenua's fault, really, but at least he seemed to be a bit more relaxed about it. The bigger Hordika hadn't protested Mic walking on her own the next morning... or it could have been the evening as it was impossible to tell in the Archives unless you asked the earth elemental, and no one had yet. But after the first hour of walking, Whenua had suddenly sighed as he slowed his pace even more to drop back behind Mic where she was beside Vakama.

Mic had an urge to not appear as 'dead weight' to the hordika ever since the attack with the Visorak. Now, having been reduced to an even smaller size, the motivation had only increased despite the fact her legs were aching. She glanced at Vakama then over her shoulder at Whenua before focusing on walking again. 'I really hope we get there soooooon...'

"Mic," Whenua said, to attract her attention as well as warn as he ducked his head down to her level.

The human unknowingly did what the hordika had wanted; she turned to face him giving him her attention. She blinked. "Yeah?"

What she got, instead of words was the black and grey striped hordika gently closing his jaws around Mic. He lifted the human up with such a calm, relaxed way- not nervous at all like Vakama the day before. Mic let out a startled/fearful yelp, the thought that she was going to be eaten momentarily coming to mind before she pushed that down. Silly thought.

"What are you doing?"

Whenua rumbled, using one large paw like hand to stop Vakama before lifting his head. When the earth elemental 'let go' of Mic she was now right in the middle of the red Hordika's spinner patch, in front of the improvised bag/pack that Vakama was caring. "Sorry about that, but you're starting to slow down."

So he had noticed. Mic shifted a bit, glancing at the spinner patch beneath her. "I tried not to... guess I'm still tired."

"And you do have a shorter pace now," Vakama added with a half smile, craning his head back to look at Mic with one eye and still focus on where he was now walking to.

"Heh, not funny," Ironic how compared to her family members and friends, she was pretty tall. It was weird being so short now, and getting the 'short jokes.' Mic looked ahead. "How much longer?"

Whenua lifted his head, sniffing as the two Hordika stretched out their paces back to normal, "Maybe about thirty clicks... ah, 'minutes' I think."

"Not too bad," Mic muttered to herself. Thirty minutes from now promised a meeting with the rest of the legendary and popular (to humans) Hordika, the Rahaga, and maybe even another nap depending on how long they'd be staying at the Suva.

"You might want to stay close to the Ragaha," Whenua said as he nudged Mic with the end of his muzzle, "At least at first." He stared pointedly at Vakama, who ducked his head.

Mic smirked. "Alright. Long as they know I'm just a _shrunken_ human." She sighed. "I hope I return to my normal size soon."

Vakama shrugged under her, "We'll have to wait and see, I don't know the effects of Kanoka disks on pure organic matter."

"Oh, lucky me," Mic snorted before flopping against the pack of her stuff.

"It could have been a high powered disk." Whenua pointed out, lifting a clawed finger before chuckling.

Mic shuddered. "Ehh, I don't even wanna think about what would have happened had it been one of those."

"You wouldn't leave the Rahaga's arms." Vakama supplied, rumbling.

The human smiled slightly. She didn't say anything for awhile, occupied with her own thoughts. If not for the excitement of meeting the rest of the team soon, she would have probably been lulled back to the sleep by the Hordika's smooth movements.

A roar echoed down the hall then, making Vakama and Whenua both freeze for a moment and then relaxed. The black colored Bionicle looked over at the other two, "What do you want to bet Matau just landed our dear stone brother's tail?"

The human grinned with a small giggle. "He do that often?"

"Yes," Vakama said with a deep, long suffering sigh as Whenua chuckled in amusement.

Rough housing must have been common for the hordika. Mic patted Vakama with a smirk. "Well then, I'll have to watch out around him."

"We'll make sure he knows better," Vakama said and gave that deadly, predatory smirk from that first night Mic had met him. Full of dark promise as well as deadly fangs, with a glimpse of his unfolding killing fangs.

Of course had she been as small as she was now on the first night, the fangs might have given her nightmares. The human ended up smiling at the red hordika before settling back again. Any minute or 'click' now she'd see her first Suva and all that waited there.

The passage they were in slowly started to widen out, the lights were farther and farther spaced out, but the light didn't dim. In fact it became softer, more 'warm' as glowing moss on the walls and ferns on the ground started and then became more abundant. Under foot, the Hordika's claws stopped clicking on the ground as the flour changed to softer earth.

'_Almost forgot about that_,' Mic thought looking at the glowing moss, remembering having seen it in the movie. The human looked at Whenua. "Why's there so much growth down here?"

"Elemental energy," The Toa said, head lifting as he smile, enjoying being able to teach, "All the oldest places of the Metru's, from Kini, Suva, and other places that have more than normal elemental energies. The bio-luminance plants down here respond healthily to the earth elemental power."

"Coolie," Mic replied, gazing at the plants and knowing they were something she'd never ever find at home. But wouldn't it be awesome to take some home? Frowning at the little twing she felt on thinking of home, Mic distracted herself by staring ahead as they neared the Suva.

Rounding a corner and there was a short passage to a hight, arch like doorway, beyond it was open space. Echoes of voices where heard, but it was the stark white form, looking more ghost-like in the glow of ferns he was sitting in this side of the door way. The Hordika's gaze was two shaded, having red and orange on one side and dark blue and teal on the other. Unlike the movie, a very distinct spined sail was on the Hordika, from head and down his tail, that was far longer than Vakama's despite the two being the same size.

'_Nuju,_' Mic thought feeling the same kind of excited nervousness from meeting Whenua for the first time. The human moved slightly and swung her gaze off of the white hordika for a moment before going back to the mutated Toa of Ice.

...that was some tail he had.

"Vakama?" Nuju asked, rising up and coming right over. The two Hordika didn't exactly head-but, yet there was clank of armor as they rubbed against each other once they got closer. Whenua leaned over and deftly picked up Mic and put her down in front of him just in time because the white and red forms fell over as in stinks took over.

Mic watched, interested always by the Hordika instincts of the Toa. It certainly looked like they were glad to see each other again, and so would the rest of the hordika no doubt. She glanced up at Whenua before looking back at the hordika of ice and fire.

"Let's go," Whenua said using the side of one foreleg to nudge at Mic, hurrying her forward through the door. A quick glance around and he picked her up and leapt to the right, putting the human down into the lap of a startled red form.

Sending the black hordika a quick glare, she really was getting tired of being picked up like that without warning, Mic then turned to look up at the red being. "Uh hi"

"What is this?" The hunched being asked, blinking down at Mic, who was smack dab in the middle of his lap. His aged form as well as the wedged shaped head, and vaguely Rahkshi like look to him all but screamed this person's name. The Rahaga tilted his head, arms already moving to wrap around Mic, "You currently are the strangest Hordika gift I have had given to me." Amusement filled the elder being's voice as Norik smiled in his own way.

Mic offered a shy smile at the Rahaga in return. "I'm a human actually. My name's Mic... I've been traveling with Vakama and Whenua," Oh, she hoped she wasn't that much of a 'cute _little_ thing' in his eyes. Still, it was neat to actually be meeting Norik.

A darker black head, and a more slender blue one peered over Norik's shoulders on either side, Gaaki and Bomanga. The later chuckled saying (and shattering that hope), "Aw, it's a youngling."

Face slightly heating up Mic replied, "Um, I'm not a, ah... 'youngling.' I'm just shrunken actually." She somehow doubted telling them her age would help, since human age was already waaay younger than a Bionicle's, as Vakama had explained a few days ago.

"She's young," Whenua said, ever so not helpful from the side, "I thought she would be safer with you wise ones-"

"VAKAMA!"

"Ah-!"

Impacts sounded and there was now a pile of Hordika that had... energetically pounced on the fire Toa that had walked in.

After shooting Whenua a 'Come oooooon!' glare and staring at the pile of Hordika armor, colors, tails and such, she muttered moodily, "I'm not _very_ young, Whenua..."

"Relatively speaking than," The big black Hordika flashed a grin before he turned essentially headbut the bounding green blur. At once the Hordika were growling and mock fighting, or wrestling.

In Whenua's place the paler form of Nuju extracted himself and with a few somewhat delicate looking hops (amusing to watch at least) the mutated ice elemental was behind the safety of the Rahaga.

Mic watched the wrestling for a moment, in amusement, before looking around the place then turned to glance over at the white Hordika. '_He must not like that kind of play-fighting, I guess. Figures._'

Norik shifted his hold on Mic as he reached behind him to pat Nuju's foreleg, though his eyes were on the human, "I am Ragaha Norik little one. Now, while the Hordika are engaging in the joys of reunion, I think you should tell us you story."

"Sure," Mic replied. She shifted slightly and started from the beginning, meeting Vakama and how Whenua later came in and the 'hole' they found leading back to Metru Nui, as well as everything else that had taken place after that, once in awhile glancing at the hordika reunion.

"You said there was a Makuta in your world?" Gaaki asked, frowning a little as she glanced at Bomanga and Norik, the other three Rahaga were no were to be seen at the moment.

"Yes. But not anymore I don't think. I saw her again, and she gave me something to give to you," Mic glanced again at the hordika, "Vakama has it with him."

As one the Rahaga looked back at Nuju, who sighed a long suffering sigh and held his tail closer, "I'm assuming it's in that pack then?"

"Uh huh," replied Mic. "With my stuff. Why?"

The slender Hordika stood, arching his back in a reading stretch before leaping over the four, jumping almost all the way over to the other Hordika and then landing right on top of Matau. Bomaga chuckled as he settled down on Norik's left side, "If you can help it, send another Hordika in, instead of yourself."

Mic grinned. In her current situation, that was probably best. She sighed. "Um, anyone know where the water is?"

"Come with me child," Gaaki said, lifting herself up with the help of her staff. Mic climbed out of Norik's lap and got up to follow the blue Rahaga. The fact that she was so small made everything else around look enormous, as if made for giants. The Suva already being large itself only added to the feeling. The human stared around as she walked behind Gaaki who was leading her to where the water was.

The Rahaga led her to a side room, one short flight of stairs down. It looked, more like a bedroom and living room mashed together. And it was, this was a place for a Toa to rest. It had both resent and not so resent use to it on a whole.

"Here," Gaaki said retrieving a goard shaped canteen and offering to Mic, "I'm sure Whenua doesn't mind sharing."

Turning from looking round the room, Mic took the offered water container with a smile, before taking a few deep gulps. "Are there other rooms like this?" She asked when finished.

"There's a store room," Gaaki said with a moment's thought, "The inner Suva of course, and the energy chamber, though I don't think you should try to get in there little one."

Mic nodded as she set the container down, not really wanting to go near any kinds of energy after what had happened with the Kahoka disk. "Good idea. How long do you think we'll stay here, at the Suva?"

"I would give the Hordika one last good hunting," Gaaki said, but she sighed as the elder looked back the way they came, "To let the Toa re-bond, but we may need to leave before night falls, when the Visorak are resting in the evening."

"Okay," Mic mumbled. She wasn't all that happy to be traveling while still in this state, but if it meant avoiding Visorak she could handle it.

A warm hand was rested on Mic's shoulder as Gaaki leaned on her staff to lower her head to the human's new level, "It is alright child," she said, "Whenua and Vakama were wise to bring you to us, the Rahaga."

"I know. I'm just not used to being sooo small like this," the human replied offering a small smile. "I should be taller than you."

"Being the size of a young Matoran will be more of a gift then you may guess." Gaaki chuckled before she led, more gently pushed Mic ahead of her to the long, wide and low bed. Urging her to get up on it.

'_Oh really?_' Mic thought before replaying the question out loud as she did as implied of her, and got up onto the bed and sitting.

"With old Hordika instincts at the moment," Gaaki gave a sad smile, "It is far better for than to think of you as a cub, you as a pure organic with no armor may not fare well in their rough housing. Nuju and Nokama get enough scratches and bourses as it is."

"I suspected that, from what Whenua and Vakama mentioned," the small human replied, crossing her legs Indian-style. She suddenly wondered something, "Um, what about my pack?" If the hordika rough housed that much, it could get damaged.

"It is fine," Gaaki chuckled as she sat up on the bed as well, nodding at the pale form coming into the room. Mic raised an eyebrow, flicking some messy hair out of her face as the white hordika came in.

Nuju was holding the pack in his hands and standing up right as he came over to the two females, "You should check to see all is in here little one." The ice Toa said as he set the pack down in front of Mic before moving to get up with them. Mostly because it was far less active down here and there was an irresistible urge to curl up around the two, which he did.

Why she hadn't expected that, Mic didn't know, but she didn't mind the closeness. "Thank you," she said to the Hordika, glancing at him which wasn't all that hard, as she checked her things. Thankful her clothing was all there for whenever her body would grow back to normal.

The Toa glanced over at the Rahaga when Gaaki chuckled, and reflexively flicked his sailed tail closer, but realized too late that would put it right over Mic's lap. Nuju gave the human a leery look, like he was expecting the appendage to get bitten. Of course he received none, only a smile as the human shifted her legs better. Mic made no moves to even touch it unlike her curiosity with Vakama.

"It too rough up there?" she asked, remembering the rough housing.

"It's calming down, more story time." Nuju admitted.

"You can't hurt him Mic." Gaaki chuckled, "He's use to the other Toa's bites, it's alright to investigate. I imagined the same happened with you?"

"Whoo, yeah," Mic nodded with a grin, remembering how strange the first invasion of personal space was with Vakama. Mic used a careful finger to touch one of the sails on Nuju's tail, not bothering to hide her curiosity, but giving a gentle all the same. The webbing of the sail was tough yet soft at the same time, the spines were harder yet weren't bone-hard. Nuju curled his neck to sniff at Mic's side in return. Mic didn't recoil, no matter the tickly feeling from the sniffs, knowing it was only fair to be investigated as well. All the same... his tail was pretty cool.

Gaaki was chuckling again, shifting closer with her staff across her lap as she reached over to scratch the mutated Toa's eye ridge, "Toa Nuju has an impressively strong assertory. That is why he has a sail and the others do not."

"Really? Cool," Mic hadn't exactly gotten a good look at the other Hordika's forms and tails, mostly because of the happy reunion and play fighting that followed after.

"I don't understand why the others are obsessed with my tail, just because I have a sail..." Nuju huffed, but he was, slowly, curling up closer to Mic as a steady purr started. For all of how he and other ice Toa were normally portrayed in the stories of Mic's world, Nuju now seemed no less effected by that strange 'cuddle' reflex as Vakama had been.

"It's a cool sail," Mic answered, leaning with her back against the white Hordika. She smirked silently on hearing the purr start up. Nuju purring... why did the books never talk about this side of the hordika? They always made it sound like it was a horrid curse of something.

"Now, Mic was it? I am Gaaki, sorry I did not introduce myself properly. Why do you not tell me and Nuju about how you met Toa Vakama and Whenua, and about this female Makuta?" True she had already heard the short version but the elder thought Nuju should hear this as well.

"Sure," Mic replied, though she didn't say that she already knew the Rahaga's name. This time however, she wasn't going to keep the fact that they were known to her world from them. "Well meeting Vakama happened when I kinda saved a dog he was trying to hunt. It took awhile to get used to him since I kinda made him... wary. I don't think he was expecting me to already know his name," she added more to herself.

"You know us?" Nuju tilted his head, and though his actions were still just as... well, Hordika-like as the others there was something in his softly glowing eyes...

Meeting his gaze she answered, "I know a lot about you guys. Bionicle is merely a storyline back home. Just a fiction really... in a way it's a good thing I happen to be a fan, otherwise who knows what might have happened with Vakama." The human glanced at Gaaki a bit sheepishly. "I already knew who you were, too."

"Hmm, well that is entirely passable," Nuju said with a thoughtful sound, "Is your world a place Mata Nui has been to before?"

"Dunno," Mic muttered, thinking. "It's race is younger than yours, I know that much thanks to Vakama," She grinned slightly remembering the questioning. "Anyways, I showed him what stories we had about this world... according to him they don't match up in some areas... like now for instance."

"I've heard some talk of the older Ko-Matoran, those who are most experience in the way, or perhaps more theories of dimensions," Nuju said, "They said energies can and do pass between those worlds, sometimes giving beings on either sides glimpse of the other."

"Whoa, really?" Mic's brows went up for a moment before she tipped her head. "That would explain things." She went on, all the way to having Vakama try to fish for his next meal, going through that part hurriedly, not liking to think about the event afterwards. "...so once we got back I showed him a story displaying events to come from now, on the island of Mata Nui."

"It sounds like a wonderful island, from what I heard." Gaaki said, gently easing a back in the story, sensing Mic needed a moment.

"Read about it, it does sound wonderful," Mic remarked, momentarily wondering if she would be stuck in Bionicle long enough to see it. Right now, she didn't know even if going back would be possible. The human knew she could use a bath for one thing.

"It is," Nuju confirmed, nodding, "No towers except those trees Matau fell in love with at first sight."

"I bet they're a sight," Mic said with a half smile, the image of Toa Matau glomping a tree coming to mind.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hordika Under the Bed**

Her body giving a small jerk, Mic was roused suddenly as an image faded from her mind's eye and was replaced by... blurriness. The human put a hand to her forehead and calmed her breathing. '_Whhhoaa... gah, I hate intense dreams about giant spiders!_'

And hey, when had she gone to sleep anyway? Hadn't she been telling Nuju and Gaaki about the female Makuta and the Rahkshi kings?

A body that was warm and cool at the same time shifted behind...around Mic. Nuju had stayed with the human, and that tail of his was comfortable curled around the girl. The pale Hordika had his head resting beside Mic, glowing eyes closed at the moment.

The downsized girl blearily looked at the mutated ice Toa's head before easing back again with a sigh. Though she was wondering what everyone else might be doing, it wouldn't hurt to relax just a wee bit longer. Something told her the other Toa might not be as gentle as Nuju.

It was only a minute or so before one blue and teal eye opened, regarding Mic through the inner lid, "Feel better?"

"Yeah... I'm alright," she yawned before stretching slightly. She turned to Nuju's head. "...how long did I doze?"

"Not so long, it's near afternoon I think." Nuju said thoughtfully, "I'm not so good with time down here."

"I lost complete track the moment we entered underground," Mic said. "Do you know if the others are still up there?" She asked, remembering they had taken some stairs down to the room.

Nuju tilted his head slightly, opening the inner lid as he listened, "Yes, they're up. Are you feeling up to braving the insanity?"

"Sure," Mic replied, "Why not? I brave plenty as it is with my friends..." She slowly wiggled her way out of his sailed tail and to her feet, leaning against him for balance.

The pale Hordika, who if Mic were to look closely at him she would see off-colored spots on Nuju. He waited politely before standing and stretching out himself with a long, wide yawn that had his killing fangs unfolding for a few seconds. She watched for a few moments before climbing off the bed, wishing her shoes still fit in this size. Mic checked herself over, making sure the translation stone wasn't about to go anywhere, and waited for Nuju.

He hopped lightly down, and again he had that nimble movement. Nuju like Matau had the best sense of balance as Mic would find out. Right now he moved to walk behind the human. Going from memory, Mic started up the stairs. It wasn't long before they stepped back into the larger room of the Onu-Suva, the human immediately taking notice of the rest of the Toa Hordika and the Rahaga.

'Braving the insanity' was what Nuju had said this would be. Back there Mic had taken it as a joke, though now a part of her was slightly nervous and possibly fearful. After all... the Hordika were all giants with her being shrunken. Yet another reason to pray for the effect to ware off quickly.

_I just hope they don't examine me like Whenua did, just yet._ Mic thought. That would be better had she been in her normal size. For now, she just had to be very careful. 'And avoid getting stepped on.'

Nuju rested his nose against the human's shoulder, humming reassuringly but he was nudging her over to the elder Bionicle, "Its okay."

"This would be easier if I weren't so small," she muttered grumpily as she made her way as directed by the white Hordika.

"You're Matoran sized." Nuju said, flipping his tail as he used a foreleg to nudge Mic to the safety of the spot between Bomonga and Gaaki. The Hordika sat down behind her, seemingly relaxed.

"Well that's normal to you, not me," Mic replied, sitting down between the two Rahaga. Once again wondering what she would do without the translation stone hanging from her neck as she looked around for a few moments.

A blue form separated itself from the other Hordika across from where the Rahaga and Mic were. The hordika gracefully approached, blinking her lids as she came. "There you are, Nuju. I trust you were getting acquainted with Vakama and Whenua's new friend," Nokama smiled. Even in this mutated state she still moved with grace, hoping over the thick tail of a brown Hordika.

Nuju gave a light hum as he turned his head to watch his brothers of stone and earth start to wrestle more energetically now, "Yes..."

The female hordika took a seat nearby, glancing at the two elementals as they wrestled before she turned to look at the shrunken human. "It is nice to see you," she greeted warmly. Mic nodded, taking a moment to glance at her then back at the hordika, awe etched in her eyes. They were so huge... and not to mention powerful-looking!

"And keeping Matau away," Nuju muttered as he did a very cat like lick to the inside of his forearm above the wrist and swiped it over his wedge-shaped head. He looked up and twitched his tail, eyed Nokama and flipped his sailed appendage over his forepaws.

Nokama smiled a little at him, glancing at his sailed tail in amusement. Matau had been chasing it not too long ago after all. The pale Hordika chirped softly, distrustfully, murmuring in a chatter that was like what Vakama had done a few times at Mic's house. Nuju dipped his head to accept a scratch on his eye ridge from Gaaki.

"I am sure Nokama won't start chewing on your tail, again, Nuju." The female elder assured.

Gaaki's remark made Mic snort before snickering. "Oh boy, mental picture time..." the human giggled.

Nokama only smiled some more at her brother.

"It's uncomfortable." Nuju said softly as he closed his inner lids.

Bomonga rumbled softly, putting a hand on Mic's back, "How did you rest young one?"

"Eh?" she turned her head to look at him, blinking. "What? Oh, yeah... good, thank you." she grinned. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not much," The Rahaga stood, stretching and fanning out those rotor like blades that hung down his back. "While that wrestling match is still going, let us retreat to the upper Suva where it's safer."

"And a meal?" Gaaki added with a small knowing smile at her earth brother.

"Ah," Mic looked around the, to her, huge place, wondering more about it. "Think I can ever see more of this Suva place?" she asked.

"Well that's what getting up and moving does." Bomonga quipped, the mutated elder motioned Mic up to fallow.

"That it does," Mic murmured, getting to her feet, grimacing slightly. Her stomach was beginning to feel a little weird again. Must have been side effects from being so tiny.

Gaaki rested her hand on Mic's back, humming in concern as she waved her staff at the Hordika to get Nuju and Nokama to step back and not crowd the human, "I think we should get you some root, you look ill little one."

Whoa, these guys were to pick up on things. "'S'okay," she replied, shaking her head. "Just a stomach ache... thing. I had it after I got... uh, shrunk down." This was true. She just hoped she wouldn't vomit again.

"Right after?" Bomonga tilted his head, and after a sharp look from his sister the still stronger elder shifted and picked Mic up. Able to get his full, if slightly hopping stride now the black and silver Rahaga angled to the other set of stairs that lead up above the larger chamber that the Toa Hordika had claimed.

"Wh-what's wrong with that?" Mic asked, blinking in confusion... and grimacing again. Danged stomach!

"Nothing wrong but it might get uncomfortable." Bomonga said as he shifted, and then the rotors on his back kicked in, helping him hop up the Toa-catered stairs and into the third level of the Suva. It was more open, or just less crowded, supported by six main pillars that were each colored with the elemental shades. Above there was glowing crystals arranged like stars, including the six point constellation that represented the Toa.

The human strained to look at the new formations and structures that were so different from the ones at home. Forgetting a bit about her yucky feelings, she wished to high heaven she had brought the camera with her. What a scrapbook she could make with photos of this place!

Mic was shifted and placed down on a cushion on the outer ring made by the pillars. The soft and thick seat was warm, meaning it had just been vacated, and the warm green and gold form of Iruini was hopping into her sight. The Rahaga shook himself, armor clicking and rotors rattling with the motion.

"You could have just niceasked PouksBrother!" Iruini protested, his eyes narrowing to yellow slits at the grinning brown elder.

"Okay... I musta missed something," Mic murmured to herself, watching the two Rahaga. She looked down at her new seat and shifted around a little, experimentally. Some random part of her mind actually thought it would make a good souvenir to take back home.

If she ever got home, that was. Not a very happy thought, that one.

"Iruini gave you his seat with some help," Gaaki chuckled as she moved to the packs on the side of the chamber. Resting her staff on the wall, she dug into one, looking for the stomach settling roots that was used for both Bionicle and Rahi.

Mic blinked before a grin split her face. For some odd reason she never expected the Rahaga to be so... _entertaining_. The movies didn't really portray them too much. It was cool to get to see their personalities for real. And it sounded like they treated each other like regular siblings. "Ahh, okay," she chuckled. "Thanks Iruini."

A green hand rested on the girls head, giving her hair a ruffle, "No worryfear little one." Mic smiled, not annoyed at the hair-ruffle. It wasn't going to stay perfect while on Metru Nui after all. She cringed however, slightly, when her stomach began to churn again.

"Looks like the disk is warring off," A gravely, rough voice said and Pouks knelt down by Mic, waving Iruini away. "Child this is probably going to hurt." He said honestly.

Mic froze a little at the blunt information. Her first reaction was, "Hurt? H-how much hurt?" And then, she had a bigger realization. "O-Oh boy... where's my pack?"

Pouks snorted at her first question as he leaned back, "Well considering how little is known about you, little Rahi, we can't say."

"Brother," Gaaki scolded, smiling a little as Bomonga evicted their stone brother from his spot (much the same way as he did to Iruini, using a staff and the power of leverage) for the female Rahaga to take Pouks' place.

Mic just sat there, her hands nervously gripping the hem of the shirt that kept her covered nicely while in this size. So, getting back to normal was going to hurt? Lovely... if the stomach aches meant anything, she didn't want to know how it would feel later.

"Here, try getting some of this down," Gaaki said as Iruini vanished in a twirl of rotors and motion. She held out a divided root half for the human, "It should help easier you belly."

"Okay. Thank you," Mic reached out for the roots, staring at them for a moment before popping one bite in her mouth. The taste wasn't... exactly _bitter_ but it was rather uncomfortable. But once the chewed bites settled into her stomach it did in fact seem to help.

Gaaki rubbed Mic's back, humming in a comforting manner as she glanced at her two brothers. They had seen bad reactions to Kanoka disks over the centuries, just enough times to expect the worse yet still hope for the best. "You'll probably feel a presser inside, that generally how the shrinking disk works when the effects where off. So do not fight the feeling, and try to relax you muscles as much as possible."

"Ever notice what's best for you tastes the worst half the time?" Bomonga asked as he watched the girl's face.

Mic tried to ignore the earth Rahaga and the chuckles he would have received in answer, and tried to concentrate on downing the yucky roots... Roots. Now there was another thing she could forver remember: the first time she ever ate a freaking root was in the Bionicle world.

She paused mid-chew and cringed a little. A wave of dizzying nausea interrupted her. Instantly knowing she wasn't going to be able to keep it down this time, the human bolted from the cushion to find a place to barf. She didn't get very far before vomiting issued however. Knelling over, hands firmly on her knees, she suddenly realized every limb on her body was... in pain.

"Ohhhh noooo, not now..."

It seemed so much more painless when the shrinking happened. But now, in reverse, it was a whole other story. The floor was already growing a little farther away.

Hands grasped at Mic's shoulders, and the human was guided to lay down. There was a sensation of rippling, of _stretching_ and a shot of pain up the spine.. and then it was over. Leaving behind a tingling of pins and nettles all over before that too faded. As quick as the kanoka disk's effects had kicked in, it only took a little bit longer to fully reverse.

"..._o__ww_." Seriously, that had hurt. She was sure she had never, ever felt something so odd like feeling one's own body stretching and growing in a matter of seconds. Most unpleasant, really, "I'm really glad that's over..."

"As long as you don't get hit with another Kanoka or spinner." Gaaki pointed out, pulling a fuzzy if thin seeming blanket over Mic, "Don't sit up just yet."

Oh, she wouldn't think about sitting up yet anyhow with nothing but a T-shirt on. "Yeah, good idea. And there's no way on earth I'm ever gonna go near a Kanoka disk again in my lifetime." Mic replied, mildly sweatdroping. She felt the blanket with her hands and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for that."

Gaaki chuckled, patting Mic on her stomach, "Iruini brought your pack, and I sent my brothers down to the lower levels." There was an understanding in the Rahaga, though the Bionicle didn't have the same taboos, she did seem to understand.

"Oh, thank you lord," Mic sighed with a smile. "And thanks again, Gaaki." She got up and spotted her pack nearby. Never before had the sight of jeans been so welcoming in her entire life!

The Bionicle elder watched for a moment before looking to the entrance way that lead to the stairs. Gaaki tilted her head as Mic changed, her eyes shifting focus to see in the dimmed lights of the teleportation chamber. The very tip of a Hordika muzzle was just barely visible, easily missed by anyone who wasn't accustomed to hunting Rahi or had been doing so for a good few hundred years at least. The human focused on changing, quite happy about it too as she hummed a tune to herself. She was oblivious to any idea that she and Gaaki may not be alone as she had thought.

"There," Mic said, once again fully clothed. She turned around. "Much better... wow, this place looks a little different... 'cause I'm taller again probably."

"And you are actually focusing on your surroundings." Gaaki said in a way, making a point with her words to inform the owner of the green muzzle that _she_ saw it with no uncertainty.

Mic blinked, glancing at Gaaki for a moment before observing the area again with her eyes, more closely than before. It took her a few moments before she did a double take, quirking her dark eyebrows. "... is that someone's nose?"

"Yes, that is a hordika muzzle," The Rahaga nodded, and with a smile rapped her staff on the ground hard enough that the altered Toa in question jerked and sat up, vanising from sight. "You can come in now." She said, and as Gaaki expected the lean, green and ornage stripped Hordika vaulted in, sniffing the air as he was able to get into a place that he hadn't before.

Of course Mic had seen him before. But still, going through a perspective change, it was almost like getting to see him again, even though she'd seen him earlier with the other Hordika. It was also quite amusing; she knew of quite a few silly incidents of his. "Hi there," the human greeted with a small wave and a smile. but then it faded.

...wait, how long had he been there...?

Matau trilled as he paced around, circling the room twice to see if he'd missed anything before hopping lightly over by Mic. With that seemingly Hordika lack of shame he sniffed at her shoulder and arm, up close he was about the size of Nokama and Nuju, more so the latter. Having nowhere near the same kind of bulk that even Vakama had, everything about this creature, former Toa, was to help with speed and climbing it seemed including his long tail that was about the same length as Nuju's almost. Just without the sail.

"Strangewierd." Matau chirped at last, just before Gaaki bonked him on the muzzle with her staff.

"I could say the same of you, but I've been 'round too much Hordika already." Mic informed him with amusement. Poor guy probably got a lot of bonks in his time, "...how long where you hiding in here?"

"Here?" Matau snorted, sitting down and mimicking his ice brother's proud pose, "I wasn't here, I was in the stairs over there."

"Sure. Okay," Mic nodded after a moment of thought. Perhaps he hadn't been allowed in here at all, explaining how pleased he was with himself for staying in the stairs. Which was probably as close as he could have gotten. "... how come you were on the stairs then?"

"Because there's you in here." Matau said hopping up again and this time circled around both elder and human, "This ToaHero wants to see you."

"Oh..." Mic shifted her weight before blinking and looking at him. "You know, that's a little stalker-ish. But I won't mind it since I... think you're mostly harmless." Then again he did do a lot of seemingly accidental crashes.

"...what?" Matau asked in confusion, and then bristled as the 'harmless' comment clicked. "Hey!"

"What happened," Gaaki spoke over the Hordika's indignation and pride, "Is simply that Matau wasn't aloud into a place, and thus he wanted to be where he wasn't aloud."

"I figured that much," Mic said with a smile, revealing she was mostly teasing the green Hordika about determining if he was harmless. The human turned to face Matau with a grin. "It was too tempting, huh?"

The mutated Toa shrugged as best he could before crouching down in a mock bow, "We're going prowlhunting in a shortsmall time, the wiseold Norik said to get you two."

His treespeak sounded way more authentic for some reason. Mic nodded, absently re-running the words 'prowlhunting' through her head. "Okay. Um... I'm guessing there's supposed to be some animals down here for you guys to hunt? Or do you go to the surface?" For a moment an image of Rokanu and her Rahkshi popped up in her head, as she recalled that they were not alone down here at all.

"We're stuck downdeep!" Matau complained, lifting up onto his hind legs and than dropping to the side in dramatics, adding in a whine like he was dying. "Onewa won't let us go up back to the surface, so we're stuck in the tightdark tunnels...!"

Gaaki rolled her eyes, "There is plenty of room as you know Matua."

Mic stepped over to the Hordika and nudged him with her foot. "She's right. And don't worry, you'll get out of here and above ground at some point."

Matau rolled and grasped the offending foot with both paw like hands and huffed. "Hey!"

"Hey what?" Mic said, amused at the fact that she'd teased him. "I'm just sayin'. Now give me my foot back."

The hordika growled, smirking as he rolled, pulling the foot, thus Mic down. Though he didn't quite think it through as the result was the human being sprawled over Matau while he grunted.

"Ouch," Mic wheezed, but couldn't help but laugh slightly all the same. "Aaaaaaand, not only are you hilarious," she commented as if making a very clear observation, trying to get up, "but you're clumsy too," she finished with a teasing smirk.

Matau gave a hissing sound that might be another way of going, "Ptssshht," and shook his head, "I'm the greatbest, but you're sitting on my neck..."

"And how is it I got there in the first place?" Mic grunted, pulling herself up to her feet, now that she had her foot back. She picked up her pack, sighing when it looked like her shoes were lost somewhere.

Gaaki stepped over to pull Mic out of grabbing range, but Matau seemed more interested in a quick grooming section to his lower neck and shoulders before hopping up. All energy even as a Hordika the, mutated Bionicle crouched and launched almost straight up to get into the 'rafters' where the crystals hung above. Matau grinned, tail curling on one support as he looked back down at the two females from his spot, showing off a bit to make up for his fail a minute ago.

Though she knew this, Mic was still unable to _not_ feel awed at the Hordika's flawless grace in the huge leap upward he'd made. Clumsy one moment, graceful the next, "At least you've got something to jump up on, down here," Mic said up to him, getting a wider grin back that flashed fangs.

* * *

><p>Queen's notes: Okay, not to get hops up to high: I found this files and realized I didn't post this last chapter, so here you go! But at the same time In the Light has not come back online that I know of.<p>

I might take this story over this year to continue and finish this, and the next one.

Would you the readers be interested in reading what ITL and I did for the sequel of this story, even though it isn't finished like this story?

Please leave a review and tell me what you think about that.


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